Freezer Danish Pastry Food

FREEZER DANISH PASTRY

Steps:

• In a bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat butter and 1/4 cup flour until smooth.
• Spread on waxed paper (on wet surface) to 12 8" rectangle.
• Refrigerate on a cookie sheet.
• Heat milk slightly and add sugar and salt, stirring to dissolve.
• Cool to lukewarm Check temperature of water with a termometer (if necessary; should be about 105-115 deg).
• Pour into a large bowl and sprinkle with yeast; stir to dissolve.
• Stir in milk mixture, egg and 3 cups of flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth.
• Mix in rest of flour with hand until dough leave side of the bowl (Ok, at this point you are wondering is all this worth a few danish's-- it is).
• Refrigerate, covered 1/2 hour.
• Turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth; with covered rolling pin, roll into 16 X 12" rectangle.
• Place chilled butter mixture on half of dough; remove paper; fold other half of dough over butter; pinch the edges to seal. With fold at right, roll out from center to a 16 X 8" rectangle.
• From short side, fold dough into thirds, making three layers; seal edges; chill wrapped in foil, for about 1 hour.
• Repeat rolling and folding (if butter breaks through, brush with flour) seal egges; chill 1/2 hour.
• Roll; fold again, seal edges, chill, wrapped in foil for 3 hours or overnight.
• TO FREEZE: Divide cold pastry into thirds.
• Wrap each third in foil; seal, label and freeze.
• If desired, make up 1/3 into Cherry Pinwheels and 1/3 into Cinnamon Bear Claws Posted separately (Unbaked Danish pastry may be stored in the freezer for several months, if desired).