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This beautiful strawberry danish braid is not only impressive looking, but it tastes amazing! When you have a pastry for breakfast, doesn’t it make it better if there’s fruit in it?
While the end result looks difficult, it’s really not, and it’s actually pretty fun once you get started! Honestly, it’s not even really “braiding” its more overlapping, going side to side. It’s a piece of cake! This video will help you TREMENDOUSLY to get a visual of how to cut the dough if it’s your first time because in my instructions down below it’s a little hard to visualize it without seeing it.
The dough is so simple to make. It only has to be refrigerated twice and not for very long either. I started making my dough around 7AM. Once I got the dough together, I let the dough ball sit in the fridge for about 2 hours, rolled it out, folded it up and let the folded dough sit for 15 minutes. We had a delicious breakfast by 10AM! You can also speed it up in the morning by making the dough at night and then in the morning, you just have to roll it out and get the filling and braiding done. That would probably be much easier. Also, be sure to not overwork the dough, it won’t be as flaky, it will be tough. You have to be verrrrry gentle. This recipe actually makes enough for two braids. So, if you want to make the whole recipe, you can freeze half of it, which is what I did so I can cut the prep time next time. If not, just half the recipe to make one braid. Nothing is better than homemade pastry dough! It’s so light, buttery and flaky – it’s prefect! Of course, you can substitute for store bought dough, but this is way more fun! (And tastes a million times better!)
The filling is so darn good too. For the first layer, I put a nice thick layer of creamy vanilla pastry cream, then topped that off with lots and lots of strawberries! Deeee-licous. Strawberries are my favorite! This danish was almost gone by the end of the day. Mike’s mother actually came over and hid a piece in her coat on the way out because she couldn’t wait to have some, ha!
If you want a delicious breakfast or want to bring the most impressive dish to someone special, this is the perfect choice!
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Strawberry Danish Braid
Ingredients
- Pastry Dough
- 1/4 cup warm water -105F-115°F
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 standard package
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 14 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs milk
- Filling
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- 4 tbs sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- - - 1 lb. strawberries halved
- Glaze
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbs cream or milk
Instructions
- 1. Proof your yeast - pour yeast into warm water in a large bowl. Let it sit for about 3 minutes until a foamy thick layer appears. Your yeast is alive and you're good to go.
- 2. Mix together the milk, sugar, egg and salt and set aside.
- 3. Cut your butter into tiny chunks and put in the bowl of a food processor (makes this much easier) with flour and pulse until the butter is incorporated and mixture is crumbly. About 10 times.
- 4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and VERY gently fold these together. Fold the two mixtures until the dry ingredients are just moistened enough to come together.
- 5. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- 6. When the time is up, take the dough out and start the rolling and folding. The dough will be very sticky so make sure your surface is floured liberally.
- 7. Gently latten the dough with the palm of your hands into a small square, this will help it stay in a more rectangular shape, rather than round.
- 8. Roll out the dough with your rolling pin into a 15in long rectangle. Make sure your dough is not sticking to the counter and add some more flour if needed.
- 9. Fold the dough together as if it were a business letter. Then, roll out into a rectangle. Do this process one more time.
- 10. Fold your dough up tightly, wrap in plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes minimum and maximum, up to one day.
- 11. After the minimum time required, take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut it in half. If you are only making one braid, wrap up the second half and put it in the freezer to use another day.
- 12. Roll out your dough to make a 12x6in rectangle or as close as you can get. Roll it out on a lined baking sheet to begin with because it will be very difficult to transfer the soft braid from the counter to baking sheet.
- 13. Cut off two corners of the dough on top and then two small triangles at the other end. (If you watch the video I posted down below, it will help you a lot to get a visual of where to cut.)
- Pastry Cream
- 1. Pour milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to make sure milk doesn't begin to burn the bottom of the pan.
- 2. While the milk heats up, mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the egg and mix until smooth. It will be very thick.
- 3. Add about 1/2 of the hot milk to the egg mix, whisking rapidly, then pour the tempered mix back into milk on the stove.
- 4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken up. Mix in the vanilla.
- 5. Pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve and into a bowl to catch any lumps. You may have to help it through a bit because it is very thick.
- 6. Go back to your prepared dough and spread a thick line down the center. Add lots of strawberries over top of the pastry cream.
- 7. Start cutting slanting strips along each side of the filling. A pizza cutter works best for this or a very sharp knife. Start overlapping the strips, going from side to side ("braiding"). When you get to the bottom, leave the last two strips and fold the end up to seal the filling in, overlap the last two strips onr top.
- 8. Beat your egg wash ingredients together and brush over top of the entire braid. This will make it nice and shiny.
- 9. Preheat your oven to 375° and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Rotate your baking sheet to be sure it is cooked evenly. Watch it carefully!
- 10. Once braid is out of oven, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Vanilla Glaze
- 1. Combine sugar vanilla and cream into a small bowl and mix until smooth.
- 2. Pour into a decorating bottle for drizzling.
- 3. Once braid is completely cool, drizzle with glaze and enjoy!
Dough recipe source Sally’s Baking Addiction
I made this yesterday but I used pineapple …I cooked the pineapple with a little sugar and added cornstarch to thicken…..I also used unsweetened coconut milk for the pastry cream….gave some to my neighbor …..he has just ordered one …..said it was beyond delicious…..thank you so much for this easy recipe….oh ….and the money I made selling this delicious treat !
That sounds soooo good!!! I never thought to use pineapple in a danish. You’re so very welcome, Donna! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
There is no video at the bottom it is showing a space ship(?) and earth.
If you could please send it to me. I made puff pastry once and it is alot of work. I do buy it premade now from restaurant depot (way cheaper than a box of pepperidge farm)
Thanks in advance.
Patty
PS I use puff pastry for sweet and savory, we used my husbands awesome leftover stuffing once and I made a turkey barley soup to go with it!
Best,
Patty
hi! what can i do if i dont have a food processor?
thanks
Hi. You don’t say when to put the yeast in. Also. Could you send me the video.
I’m going to use raspberries.
Thank you
Polly
Hi I’m going to use raspberries. You don’t say when I should put the yeast in. Also could you send me the video. Thank you. Polly