Pie and Pastry Bible (133 page)

UNDERSTANDING

My friend Shirley Corriher is a passionate defender of the moist dough technique. She assured me that making this dough exceptionally moist would render it less resistant to rolling and would produce lighter croissants because of the steam released in the oven. I am now a believer! She also made the excellent suggestion of processing the whole wheat flour to reduce further the size of the bran and germ so that it would not cut through the gluten strands of the dough.

I am also indebted to Dorie Greenspan and Esther McManus for the brilliant idea of using the dough scraps to create the higher center for a lovely shape.

Plugrá butter or French butters have less water than other butters, so they stay pliant even when cold.

King Arthur’s unbleached flour and supermarket bread flours have a similar protein content, just enough to provide enough gluten to support a high rise yet make a tender dough. Flour with higher protein would result in a dough with a chewy texture; with less protein, it would be less light and airy.

Notching the base of the triangle helps it to spread sideways and over the extra little ball of dough, which also adds to its attractive shape.

Although it may seem as if a lot of extra flour is added during rolling out the dough, actually, it is only about ½ ounce more.

CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS

(Pain au Chocolat)

O
ne of the great joys of working with the Bernachons in Lyon, France, when I was translating their book A Passion for Chocolate, was the pleasure of eating freshly baked pain au chocolat every day for breakfast. These rectangles of croissant dough wrapped around small rectangles of bittersweet chocolate are most delicious when eaten still warm from the oven, because the chocolate inside is still slightly melted. Of course they can be reheated to achieve this same effect.

EQUIPMENT

Two large baking sheets or half-size sheet pans, lined with parchment
^*

Make the dough (page 477).

SHAPE THE PAIN AU CHOCOLAT

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, cut the chocolate bars along each vertical seam so that each bar yields 6 little bars. (3-ounce European chocolate bars are the ideal size and shape.)

On a floured counter, roll the dough to a 6- by 24-inch rectangle. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half to make 2 rectangles 24 inches long by 3 inches wide. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 4-inch pieces. You will now have twelve 4-by 3-inch rectangles of dough. Brush off all the flour.

Shape the
pains
one at a time, keeping the rest of the dough covered with plastic wrap. Lay a piece of chocolate on a piece of dough so that the length of the chocolate is parallel to a long side of the dough and, starting from that long side, roll up the dough so that it encloses the chocolate. Moisten the end of the dough with a bit of water to seal, and place the pain seam side down on a lined baking sheet. As you form the remaining
pains,
place them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets (6 on each sheet).

When all the pains are formed, brush them with the egg glaze. If you have 2-inch-deep by 18-inch sheet pans, invert them over the dough.
^*
Alternatively, cover them lightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable shortening and set the sheet pan(s) aside in a warm spot. Allow the pains to rise for about 2 hours.
^*
The pains should double in size and be very light in texture.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack on the lowest level before preheating.

Five minutes ahead, place a pan with about éinch of boiling water in on a rack toward the bottom of the oven. (To prevent a ring from forming if using a metal pan, add a pinch of cream of tartar to the water.)

Place the
pains
in the oven and turn the temperature down to 400°F. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown (210°F). After the first 10 minutes, turn around and reverse the position of the two sheets.

Remove the
pains
to a rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes. They are best eaten warm, when the outside is crisp and light, the center is soft and tender, and the chocolate still soft, or within 3 hours after baking.

STORE

Unbaked
pains,
refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months. Use 25 percent more yeast if planning to freeze them, as some yeast will die during freezing. Baked
pains,
room temperature, up to 1 day; frozen, several months. Reheat them in a preheated 300°F. oven for 5 minutes (8 minutes if frozen).

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If it is necessary to make the topping ahead, to ensure that it will be crunchy, refrigerate the finished tartlets for up to 4 hours before serving. The chocolate cræme will become firmer, so use 1 less egg yolk in the custard to compensate.

^*
If using frozen dough that is only Vs inch thick, make the cuts slightly less than 1/16 inch deep.

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If using frozen dough that is only Vs inch thick, make the cuts almost to the bottom of the dough—not quite ¼ inch deep.

^*
If using frozen dough that is only Vs inch thick, make the cuts slightly less than 1/16 inch deep.

^*
If using frozen dough that is only
inch thick, make the cuts almost to the bottom of the dough—not quite ¼ inch deep.

^*
If using frozen dough that is only Vs inch thick, make the cuts almost to the bottom—not quite ¼ inch deep.

^*
If using frozen dough that is only Vs inch thick, make cuts slightly less than 1/16 inch deep.

^*
Plus, if possible, two 18- by 2-inch-deep sheet pans, to be used as a proofing box.

^*
If desired, a tablespoon of Remonce (page 510) per croissant can be substituted for the daaaough balls for moistness and flavor.

^*
To create an ideal environment similar to a proofing box, place one or two small custard cups, filled with very hot water, on the baking sheet, not too close to the dough. Cover with the inverted pan and lay a heating pad set to low or medium on top of it. (My heating pad on medium produces a temperature of 82° to 86°F. inside the pan.) If you have a proofing box, set it to 88° to 90°F.

^*
At 70°F., they will take 3 to 4 hours.

^*
Plus, if possible, two 18-by 2-inch-deep sheet pans, to be used as a proofing box.

^*
To create an ideal environment similar to a proofing box, place one or two small custard cups, filled with very hot water, on the baking sheet, not too close to the dough. Cover with the inverted pan and lay a heating pad set to low or medium on top of it. (My heating pad on medium produces a temperature of 82° to 86°F. inside the pan.) If you have a proofing box, set it to 88° to 90°F.

^*
At 70°R, they will take 3 to 4 hours.

DANISH PASTRY

A
uthentic Danish pastry is crisp, tender, and slightly flaky. American-style Danish is far more sweet and cakey in texture. Danish pastry is truly one of the world’s greatest pastries, but chances are you’ll never know just how extraordinary it can be if you don’t make it yourself. Even in Denmark, where it is known as
Wienerbrod
(Viennese bread), because of the city of its origin, it is rare to encounter Danish pastry that has been made with butter rather than margarine, and, of course, that makes an enormous difference in flavor. Danish is a true pastry, falling somewhere between croissant and brioche. The dough is spread with Remonce (page 510), made of almond paste, sugar, butter, and vanilla. The fillings and toppings consist of fruit jams such as apricot or prune, preserves such as sour cherry or blueberry, brandied raisins, lightly sweetened cream cheese, nuts, and sugar glazes. But it is the different shapes, from pretzel to bear claw, that give them drama.

My skills with Danish pastry making come from having studied with two masters who got their training in two different countries: Denmark and Switzerland. I spent several days in the kitchen of the renowned Konditerei La Glace in Copenhagen, working with chef Arne Plough-Jacobsen, who has been in charge of Danish production there for over forty years. I have also incorporated many valuable techniques learned from Dieter Schorner, chairman of Pastry Art at the French Culinary Institute.

Danish dough is easy to make and keeps well in the freezer for several weeks. When it’s defrosted, it is a quick and enjoyable process to fill, shape, and bake it. This makes it practical as a special treat around the holidays. The dough can be made several weeks ahead and defrosted the night before. Children can participate in the shaping and decorating, and everyone can enjoy the pastries for a memorable holiday breakfast.

I also like to freeze some of the baked Danish for future breakfasts. They take only about eight minutes in a 300°F. oven to become warm and crisp.

AUTHENTIC DANISH PASTRY DOUGH

(
Master Recipe
)

This is the dough that is used for every Danish variation. It produces a baked Danish that has a crisp outer crust and a tender slightly layered interior.

The most important factor for making perfect Danish is the same as for any dough, such as puff pastry and croissant, into which the butter is layered. The butter must be cold but malleable: too cold, and it breaks through the dough; too soft, and it melts into the flour, destroying the carefully achieved layering. I made my first Danish dough, however, in a fairly warm room (73°F.) and it still had wonderful layering. If you work quickly and have everything cold, it’s fine to try this dough at any time of year; but if you prefer to work at a more relaxed pace, wait until cool weather!

The sugar glaze, which is simply powdered sugar, water, and lemon juice or vanilla, is brushed on the baked Danish, hot from the oven, to form a very fine coating on the surface. It requires no heating, does not get absorbed by the dough, and remains transparent and shiny.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 400°F., THEN 375°F. • BAKING TIME: 18 MINUTES MAKES: 26.7 OUNCES/762 GRAMS DOUGH
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
	VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
* Cardamom is most aromatic when freshly ground. I use a mortar and pestle; a spice or coffee mill also works well.
milk	liquid cup	5.6 ounces	160 grams
sugar	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	25 grams
SAF-Instant yeast (page 653) or compressed fresh yeast or active dry yeast (not rapid-rise)	1½ teaspoons 2 teaspoons, packed 1½ teaspoons	• 0.5 ounce •	5.3 grams 11 grams 4.5 grams
King Arthur unbleached flour or national-brand bread flour	2¼ cups, divided	10.5 ounces	300 grams
salt	½ teaspoon	•	•
ground cardamom*	teaspoon	•	•
1 large egg	approx. 3 tablespoons	1.75 ounces 50 grams (weighed without the shell)
unsalted butter, preferably Plugrá or French butter	18 tablespoons (soften 1 tablespoon)	9 ounces	255 grams