Trying out new ideas for the shop coming at the end of year in SMITHDOWN ROAD. This morning we have made these beauties home: Danish pastries. Although not proper Italian, we would love to serve them as well as other Italian baked goods when we will open our shop. They make a great breakfast snack, perfect with an espresso or with a cup of tea. You can easily make them at home too.
Here below is the recipe and a video tutorial.
For the dough
500g strong bread flour
250ml milk
10g honey
12g fresh yeast (or 4g dry yeast)
80g sugar
1 egg
60g butter (soft)
8g salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g raisins
For the custard cream:
2 egg yolks
250ml milk
20g cornstarch
50g sugar
lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the dough mixing all the ingredients a part from salt and butter. Add them after 5-10 minutes when all the other ingredients have been well incorporated. Add a piece of butter at time, knead it for further 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let it prove at room temperature (20-24C°) until it doubles the size (3-4 hours). Stretch the dough with a rolling pin approx 30x50cm.

Add a layer of custard cream and sprinkle over the raisins. Roll it over, and cut it with a sharp knife in 3/4 cm thickness disks. Lay them on a baking paper in an oven tray and let them prove from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the room temperature. Bake at 220C° for about 15-20 minutes. Add syrup or icing sugar at the end.