Danish pastry

ADanish pastry(Danish:wienerbrød[ˈviˀnɐˌpʁœðˀ]) (sometimes shortened todanish, especially inAmerican English) is a multilayered,laminatedsweetpastryin theviennoiserietradition. It is thought that some bakery techniques were brought to Denmark byAustrianbakers, and originated the name of this pastry. The Danish recipe is however different from the Viennese one and has since developed into a Danish specialty.
However, the origin of the pastry is not clear as it is called Kopenhagener in Austria and Wienerbrød in Denmark.
Like other viennoiserie pastries, such ascroissants, it is a variant ofpuff pastrymade of laminatedyeast-leaveneddoughthat creates a layered texture.
Danish pastries were brought with immigrants to the United States, where they are often topped with a fruit or cream cheese filling, and are now popular around the world.
Danish pastry is made ofyeast-leaveneddoughof wheatflour,milk,eggs,sugar, and large amounts ofbutterormargarine.
A yeast dough is rolled out thinly, covered with thin slices of butter between the layers of dough, and then the dough is folded and rolled several times, creating 27 layers.If necessary, the dough is chilled between foldings to ease handling. The process of rolling, buttering, folding, and chilling is repeated multiple times to create a multilayered dough that becomes airy and crispy on the outside, but also rich and buttery.
Butter is the traditional fat used in Danish pastry,but in industrial production, less expensive fats are often used, such ashydrogenatedsunflower oil.
InDanish,Norwegian, andSwedish, the term for Danish pastry iswienerbrød(orwienerbröd), meaning "Viennese bread".The same etymology is also the origin of theIcelandicvínarbrauð,FinnishviineriandEstonianViini sai("Viennese pastry").
In Vienna, the Danish pastry is calledKopenhagener Plunder, referring toCopenhagen, orDänischer Plunder.
The origin of the Danish pastry is often ascribed to a strike amongst bakery workers in Denmark in 1850. The strike caused bakery owners to hire workers from abroad, among them several Austrian bakers, who brought along new baking traditions and pastry recipes. The Austrian pastry ofPlundergebäcksoon became popular in Denmark and after the labour disputes ended, Danish bakers adopted the Austrian recipes, adjusting them to their own liking and traditions by increasing the amount of egg and fat for example. This development resulted in what is now known as the Danish pastry.
One of the baking techniques and traditions that the Austrian bakers brought with them was the Viennese lamination technique.Due to such novelties the Danes called the pastry "wienerbrød" (Vienna bread) and that name is still in use in Northern Europe today.At that time, almost all baked goods in Denmark were givenexoticnames.
Danish pastries as consumed in Denmark have different shapes and names. Some are topped with chocolate,pearl sugar,glacé icing, and/or slivered nuts and they may be stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as jam or preserves (usually apple or prune),remonce,marzipan, and/or custard. Shapes are numerous, including circles with filling in the middle (known in Denmark asSpandauers), figure-eights, spirals (known as snails), and the pretzel-likekringles.There's also the frøsnapper, which is a twisted pastry sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds. The pastry is often filled with marzipan or custard. Interestingly, the term frøsnapper has no unique meaning and is only used to refer to the dish itself.
Danish pastries of all variations have come to symbolizehygge, a significant concept within Danish culture that embodies a sense of coziness and comfort.
In Sweden, Danish pastry is typically made in theSpandauer-style, often with vanilla custard.
In the UK, various ingredients such asjam,custard,apricots,cherries,raisins, flakedalmonds,pecans, orcaramelizedtoffeeare placed on or within sections of divided dough, which is then baked.Cardamomis often added to increase the aromatic sense of sweetness.
In the US, Danishes are typically given a topping of fruit or sweetened cream cheese prior to baking. Danishes with nuts on them are also popular there and in Sweden, where often icing, and, sometimes, powdered sugar and chocolate spritzing are also added.
In Argentina, they are usually filled withdulce de lecheordulce de membrillo.
Danish pastry was brought to the United States byDanish immigrants. Lauritz C. Klitteng ofLæsøpopularized "Danish pastry" in the US around 1915–1920. According to Klitteng, he made Danish pastry for the wedding ofPresidentWoodrow Wilsonin December 1915. Klitteng toured the world to promote his product and was featured in such 1920s periodicals as theNational Baker, theBakers' Helper, and theBakers' Weekly. Klitteng briefly had his own Danish Culinary Studio at 146 Fifth Avenue inNew York City.
Herman Gertner owned a chain of New York City restaurants and had brought Klitteng to New York to sell Danish pastry. Gertner's obituary appeared in the January 23, 1962The New York Times: