Cinnamon Danish pastry swirls

Makes 10
Difficulty rating **

For the dough

250 g (9 oz/12/3 cups) strong white flour

40 g (11/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1 teaspoon salt

7 g (2 teaspoons) fast-action dried yeast

1 egg

45 ml (11/2 fl oz) tepid water

65 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) milk

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) unsalted butter

For the filling

175 g (6 oz) unsalted butter

60 g (2 oz/1/2 cup) soft light brown sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons icing (confectioners’) sugar

1 egg, beaten

For the lemon drizzle

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

75 g (23/4 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar

Equipment

Stand mixer

Clean plastic bag

Rolling pin

Plastic wrap

Baking paper

Baking tray

Prep time: 30 minutes

Resting time: 8 plus 11/2 hours or overnight

Proving time: 2 hours

Baking time: 15–20 minutes

For the dough

Put the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, making sure the salt and yeast don’t come into contact. Start mixing, while you add the egg, water and milk. Knead the dough for about 6 minutes. Lightly dust a worktop with flour and tip the dough out. Roll the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, dry plastic bag in the fridge while you prepare the butter.

Place the butter between 2 sheets of baking paper. Hit it with a rolling pin to flatten it into a rectangle (see figure 1).

Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on the floured surface into a large rectangle. Place the flattened butter in the middle (see figure 2) and fold the dough over it (see figure 3). Turn it, then roll the dough out to a large rectangle again. Fold in half again, then follow these folding and rolling steps twice more. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and return to the fridge for 1 hour.

Once rested, roll out the dough and fold, turn and roll twice more. Return the dough to the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge, roll out the dough and fold again, twice, then leave the dough to rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight (see figure 4).

For the filling

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat just until it’s thick but not too runny. Add the sugar, cinnamon and icing sugar and mix it all together (see figure 5).

Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a large rectangle and spread over the filling. Roll each side of the rectangle in to meet in the middle (see figures 6 and 7), then cut into 5 cm (2 inch) thick slices. Place the cut slices on a lined baking tray with space in between (see figure 8) and leave to prove for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Brush some beaten egg on top of each pastry and bake for 15–20 minutes.

For the lemon drizzle

Mix the lemon juice, lemon zest and icing sugar in a bowl to form a nice runny icing, then drizzle it over the baked pastries.

These are best eaten the same day, but will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Click HERE for The Senior's review of Aimee's Perfect Bakes.