09/01/2026
Makes about 10–12 danishes
🧈 Dough
* 500 g all-purpose flour
* 60 g granulated sugar
* 8 g instant yeast
* 8 g salt
* 240 g whole milk, cold
* 2 large eggs (about 100 g)
* 50 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 tsp vanilla
🧈 Butter block
* 250 g cold unsalted butter
The secret: Don’t let the butter get warm. You want it cold but bendable, not rock-hard and not greasy. 1️⃣ MAKE THE DOUGH
Mix together:
500 g flour + 60 g sugar + 8 g yeast + 8 g salt.
Add:
240 g milk + 100 g eggs + 50 g melted/cooled butter + vanilla.
Mix until you have a shaggy dough.
Knead about 5–7 minutes until it’s fairly smooth.
It should feel soft and slightly tacky, but shouldn’t be sticking all over your hands.
🚨 Don’t over-knead!
Danish dough doesn’t need to become super elastic like bread dough.
Flatten it into a rectangle, cover it, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Overnight is even better. 👀
2️⃣ MAKE YOUR BUTTER BLOCK
Put 250 g butter between two pieces of parchment.
Pound/roll it into approximately:
8 × 6 inches
You want a nice, even rectangle.
Put it in the refrigerator.
The butter and dough should be similar in firmness before you laminate.
3️⃣ FIRST LAMINATION
Take your chilled dough and roll it into roughly:
16 × 8 inches
Put the butter in the middle.
Fold the dough over the butter like you’re closing a book.
Pinch the edges closed.
You should now have:
dough → butter → dough
4️⃣ ROLL IT OUT
Gently roll the dough into approximately:
24 × 8 inches
Don’t mash it.
Don’t rush.
If the butter starts feeling soft or you see it smearing:
🛑 STOP
Put the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
5️⃣ FOLD #1 — LETTER FOLD
Fold one third toward the middle.
Then fold the other third over it.
You’ll have something like:
📄 → 🧈 → 📄
Wrap it and refrigerate 30 minutes.
6️⃣ FOLD #2
Roll it back out to approximately 24 × 8 inches.
Do the same letter fold again.
Refrigerate another 30 minutes.
7️⃣ ONE MORE FOLD
Repeat the process one more time.
Then refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
At this point you’ve got beautiful layers. 😍 🧀 CHEESE FILLING
Mix:
* 225 g cream cheese, softened
* 60 g powdered sugar
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 tsp lemon juice
* 10 g flour or cornstarch
Beat until smooth.
Refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
🥐 NOW WE SHAPE THEM!
Roll your dough into a rectangle about:
¼ inch thick
Cut into approximately 4–5 inch squares.
❤️ Cheese Danish
Put about 30–35 g cheese filling in the center.
Fold two opposite corners toward the middle.
Press them together.
You can also make the classic diamond shape by folding the other corners slightly inward. 🥚 EGG WASH
Mix:
* 1 egg
* 1 tbsp milk
Brush the pastry only.
Try not to get egg wash all over the exposed layers—it can glue the layers together.
⏰ THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: PROOFING
Put the shaped danishes on parchment.
Cover loosely.
Let them sit somewhere warm for approximately:
1½–2½ hours
You’re looking for them to become:
puffy + noticeably lighter + jiggly
Don’t go strictly by the clock.
If they’re still dense and firm, give them more time.
🔥 BAKE
Heat oven to:
400°F
Bake for 5 minutes.
Then immediately reduce to:
375°F
Bake another 12–18 minutes.
You’re looking for:
✨ deeply golden edges
✨ golden tops
✨ puffed layers
✨ bottoms that aren’t pale or doughy
🍯 THE BAKERY FINISH
As soon as they come out, brush the fruit with a little apricot jam or warmed cherry preserves.
Then drizzle the cheese danishes with:
Simple glaze
* 100 g powdered sugar
* 15–20 g milk
* ½ tsp vanilla
Mix until smooth.
Drizzle over the cooled danishes.
⭐ THREE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK THESE
1. Keep the butter cold.
Warm butter = layers disappear.
2. Don’t skip the proof.
Under-proofed Danish = dense and bready.
3. Don’t let the dough get warm while shaping.
If it becomes soft or greasy, refrigerate it.
And honestly, if you’re making these for the first time, I’d make the dough the night before, refrigerate it overnight, and do the final rolling/shaping/baking the next day. It’s much easier and the flavor gets even better. 🥐❤️
