Classic Danish Dough

Preparation

1. Mix the dough:

   1. Step 1

      In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and water. Turn the mixer on medium-low, slowly pour in the milk mixture, and mix until the dough comes together around the hook, about 1 minute. Pause, scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary, and then mix, pausing once or twice to scrape it from the hook, until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and is smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky, about 5 minutes (you shouldn’t need to add more flour).

   2. Step 2

      Add 4 tablespoons/56 grams of the butter and continue to mix, pausing occasionally to scrape down the hook and sides of the bowl, until the butter has been incorporated and the dough is soft, supple, and very elastic, another 5 to 8 minutes. Scrape the dough out onto the work surface, form into a ball, and dust lightly with flour.

2. Let the dough rise:

   1. Step 3

      Place the ball seam-side down inside a clean medium bowl and cover tightly. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer it to the refrigerator and chill until the dough is firm, cold, and doubled in size, at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.

3. Make the butter block:

   1. Step 4

      Pile the remaining 10 tablespoons of butter in the center of a large piece of parchment paper and then loosely fold the four sides of the parchment over the butter to form a packet. Turn the packet over and use a rolling pin to lightly beat the cold butter into a flat ½-inch-thick layer, fusing the pieces and making them pliable (try not to tear the parchment). Turn over the packet and unwrap it.

   2. Step 5

      Fold the paper over the butter again, this time making straight folds at right angles, forming a neat 5-by-8-inch rectangle. Turn the packet over again and use a rolling pin to roll over the packet, further flattening the butter into a thin layer that fills the parchment while forcing out any air pockets. Transfer the butter block, still wrapped, to the refrigerator to firm up, at least 10 minutes.

4. Roll out the dough:

   1. Step 6

      Remove the chilled, risen dough and the butter block from the refrigerator and set the butter block aside. Invert the bowl and scrape the cold dough out onto a lightly floured surface so that the seam side is up. Flatten it lightly with your palms and tug at the margins to work it into a square shape, then roll it out into a rectangle measuring about 11-by-9 inches, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Orient the dough so one of the long sides is facing you.

5. Lock in the butter:

   1. Step 7

      Unwrap the butter just so the top is exposed, then use the parchment paper to invert the block and place it down the center of the dough, orienting it so uncovered dough lies to the left and right of the butter and the top and bottom edges of dough and butter align. Press the butter gently into the dough and peel off the parchment paper.

   2. Step 8

      Fold the sides of the dough over the butter so they meet at a vertical seam down the center. Pinch the dough together at the seam and at the top and bottom edges to fully enclose the butter.

6. Do the first “turn” and chill:

   1. Step 9

      Lift up the dough and dust underneath with more flour. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle measuring about 18 inches long and 7 inches wide, using more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Brush any excess flour from the surface of the dough and fold it in thirds like a letter, bringing the top third of the slab down and over the center third, then the bottom third up and over (this is called a “turn”). Wrap the dough tightly in plastic or place in a resealable bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.

7. Do the second and third turns and chill:

   1. Step 10

      Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place on a lightly floured surface, making sure that the open sides are at the top and bottom (the fully closed side will be on your left). Roll out the dough into an 18-by-13-inch rectangle just as you did after enclosing the butter and fold in thirds again (the second turn). Then, working as quickly as possible while the dough is still cold, rotate the dough 90 degrees (closed sides to the left and right), and repeat the rolling and folding process a third time for the final turn. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12. The dough is now ready to use (keep refrigerated).