Danish Swirls

Name: Danish Swirls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Type 0 flour 4 cups; Whole milk (at room temperature) 1 cup; Sugar ½ cup; Butter (soft) 5 tbsp; Brewer's yeast 1 ¼ tsp; Eggs (medium, at room temperature) 1; Lemon peel 1; Fine salt 1 pinch; Whole milk 1.1 cups; Cornstarch 0.9 oz; Sugar 4 tbsp; Eggs 1; Egg yolks 1; Lemon peel 1; Raisins 0.67 cup; Powdered sugar ½ cup; Water 10 tsp; Egg yolks 1; Whole milk to taste

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Makes: 12 pieces
Cost: Average
Note + rising time (at least 2 hours total)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Sebastian Fitarau

Out-of-this-world breakfast incoming with Danish swirls! These are brioche rolls filled with a delicious cream and raisin filling (if you don't like raisins, you can substitute them and make swirls with chocolate chips). They are typical Danish pastries and are perfect for a sweet morning awakening! You can make them the night before and slightly warm them up in the microwave or oven to make your family happy at breakfast. Soft, fragrant, and irresistible, Danish swirls represent a perfect balance between a relatively short rising time and an extraordinary final result!

Discover more leavened recipes to make at home for breakfast:

Cinnamon rolls
Soft sweet swirls
Doughnuts
Brioches
Lemon and blueberry babka

INGREDIENTS

For 12 swirls: Type 0 flour 4 cups (500 g); Whole milk 1 cup (250 g) - (at room temperature); Sugar ½ cup (100 g); Butter 5 tbsp (70 g) - (soft); Brewer's yeast 1 ¼ tsp (6 g); Eggs 1 - (medium, at room temperature); Lemon peel 1; Fine salt 1 pinch

For the cream: Whole milk 1.1 cups (250 g); Cornstarch 0.9 oz (25 g); Sugar 4 tbsp (50 g); Eggs 1; Egg yolks 1; Lemon peel 1

For filling: Raisins 0.67 cup (100 g)

For brushing: Powdered sugar ½ cup (75 g); Water 10 tsp (50 g); Egg yolks 1; Whole milk to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Danish Swirls

To prepare the Danish swirls, place flour, sugar, and dry yeast in a stand mixer 1. Start mixing with the paddle attachment, then stop to add the lemon zest, egg 2, and milk slowly 3.

When the dough starts to become homogeneous, add a pinch of salt and the softened butter a little at a time 4. Continue to work with the stand mixer until the butter is completely absorbed and the dough is smooth 5. Then transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let it rise in a place protected from drafts or in an off oven with the light on for about an hour and a half. In the meantime, prepare the cream: heat the milk in a saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the egg and yolk, sugar, starch, and grated lemon zest 6.

You should get a fluid and homogeneous mixture 7. Pour the hot milk into this mixture in two parts 8 and stir. Then put everything back on low heat 9. Stir and cook the cream until it reaches the ideal consistency.

Pour the ready cream into a low, wide dish, cover immediately with film 10, and let it cool completely. You can rinse and soak the raisins 11, meanwhile roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface 12.

You should make it almost a rectangle with a thickness of 0.2 inches 13. Spread the custard over the entire surface 14, sprinkle with raisins previously drained and well squeezed 15.

Roll from the longer side 16, tightening well as you go, and once done, seal the ends by pinching the dough 17. Cut the roll into slices about 1.2 inches thick with a sharp knife 18.

Place the swirls well-distanced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you should be able to fit about 6 swirls per sheet) 19. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes, always away from drafts. At this point, remove the plastic wrap, beat the yolk with a little milk 20 and brush the swirls with this mixture before baking 21. Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix 2.6 oz of powdered sugar with 1.7 oz of water 22. With this mixture, you can brush the swirls once baked and still hot 23 to give a glazed effect. Bake again for 5 minutes, then enjoy them hot once ready 24!