Homemade Breakfast Danish Pastries

Let’s make homemade breakfast pastries using a variation of classic Danish pastry dough. We’re working the butter directly into the dough, which is a different method from laminating it with separate layers of butter. These breakfast pastries are buttery and flaky with sweet fillings and a drizzle of vanilla icing. For best success, use the video tutorial and photos, as well as the carefully explained recipe for guidance.

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.

homemade breakfast pastries

Do you remember when I published a shortcut variation of Danish pastry dough? You might notโ€”it was several years ago! Since then, I’ve created a raspberry pastry braid and a blueberry cream cheese pastry braid using that same dough. Let’s take it a step further and make individual homemade breakfast pastries.

Researching their origin, I learned that traditional Danish pastries came to life around the 1850s by Austrian bakers working in Denmark. What started as the Austrian pastry known as Plundergebรคck developed into what is now known as danishes. There are many ways to make, top, shape, and serve these pastries and that usually depends on the region. Here in the US, we can usually find them topped with fruit, jams, and sweetened cream cheese fillings. Bottom line: we’re all so very thankful for these sweets!

One reader, Luba, commented:Where do I begin?! This recipe is so easy to follow. It’s so detailed and there’s a video, so at every single stage I knew what I should be looking out for. I hardly ever attempt pastry because it’s so challenging, but honestly this is completely within any baker’s abilities! Also, there’s not a million ingredients which is always a win. Then the tasteโ€”OMG! Quite literally the best pastry I have ever had and I am so grateful for this recipe! Thank you, Sally. โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…

Another reader, Jenna, commented:I used this recipe to make breakfast pastries for the first time, and I am not sorry that I did because they were wonderful! They looked great and everyone I shared them with loved them. I really appreciate the step-by-step detailed directions to help me achieve success. Wonderful recipe! โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…


This is a Shortcut Homemade Pastry

Before I describe these homemade pastries and show you how to make them, let me explain this pastry dough variation. This is a shortcut versionโ€”it’s not the traditional method of making real danishes. This dough is usually laminated several times between layers of butter, similar to how we prepare homemade croissants and croissant bread. Here we are working the butter directly into the dough using a food processor. We’re still rolling out and folding the dough, just as you do when you laminate dough with butter, but we’re not folding it up with a separate layer of butter.

I use the term “shortcut” loosely as this dough still takes at least 5-6 hours total with 2 rounds of refrigeration. They’re just as buttery and flaky as the real thing!

Are you looking for a dough that’s more similar to puff pastry? We skip the lamination in this rough puff pastry dough as well. (And that recipe skips yeast unlike today’s yeasted dough, which creates slightly puffier pastries.)

breakfast pastries

I have the full written recipe below, as well as step-by-step photos and careful explanations below the recipe. This post is rather long, so I wanted to add most of the details below the recipe. I can’t wait for you to try these at home!

These Homemade Danish Pastries Are:

  • Made from a modified yeasted pastry dough
  • Crisp, flaky, & extra buttery
  • Ready for your favorite breakfast pastry fillings
  • Topped with sweet vanilla icing

Plus, you can easily make this dough in 1 morning or over the course of 3 days. I love make-ahead dough where you have plenty of options in terms of timing. You can also freeze half the dough if 16 pastries are too many or even make 8 pastries and 1 blueberry cream cheese pastry braid!

raspberry breakfast pastries

Filling Ideas

You need around 2/3 cup of filling for the entire recipe (16 breakfast pastries). Feel free to mix and match, creating different flavors in your batch.

  • Jam or Preserves, such as raspberry, peach, or strawberry
  • Pumpkin Butter or Apple Butter
  • Lemon Curd
  • Cherry Pie Filling
  • Nutella
  • Cream Cheese Filling (my favorite and detailed in the recipe below)

Use This Dough to Make Pastry Braids

I love a versatile dough! Just as we can use pizza dough to make pizza, cheesy breadsticks, garlic knots, and pepperoni pizza rolls, we can use this homemade pastry dough to make individual pastries and pastry braids. I haven’t perfected other shapes yet, but feel free to try. Make sure you chill any shaped pastries before baking to help guarantee they hold their shape. See step 13 and corresponding recipe note below.

Baker’s Tip: I find that the braids bake up even flakier than the individual pastries! I have a video tutorial showing you how to shape this blueberry cream cheese pastry braid. It’s easier than it looks.

blueberry cream cheese pastry braid

See Your Breakfast Pastries!

Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. ๐Ÿ™‚

Step-by-step photos below!

Print
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homemade breakfast pastries

Danish Pastries with Shortcut Homemade Dough

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 268 reviews
  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 6 hours (includes chilling)
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours, 25 minutes
  • Yield: 16 pastries
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Danish
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Description

These homemade breakfast pastries use a variation of classic Danish pastry dough. We’re working the butter directly into the dough, which is a different method from laminating it with separate layers of butter. Make sure the butter is very cold before beginning. This recipe yields 2 pounds of dough.


Ingredients

Pastry Dough

  • 1/4 cupย (60ml) warmย water (between 100-110ยฐF, 38-43ยฐC)
  • 2ย and 1/4 teaspoonsย Platinum Yeast from Red Starย (1ย standard packet)*
  • 1/4 cupย (50g)ย granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature (between 68โ€“72ยฐF, 20-22ยฐC)
  • 1ย largeย egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoonย salt
  • 14 Tablespoons (196g) unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled), plus more for generously flouring hands, surface, and dough

Filling

  • 2/3 cup filling (see recipe notes for options & cheese filling)

Egg Wash

  • 1ย largeย egg
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml)ย milk

Vanilla Icing (Optional)

  • 1 cupย (120g)ย confectionersโ€™ sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml)ย milkย orย heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoonย pure vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Preliminary note: To help guarantee success, I recommend reading through the recipe, watching the video tutorial, and reading the explanations below this recipe. (All answer many FAQs.) Do not use an electric mixer for this dough. It’s best if the dough is folded together with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula since it is so sticky. There is very minimal mixing required.
  2. Make the Pastry Dough: Whisk the warm water, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon (6g) of sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and allow to rest until foamy on top, about 5 minutes. If the surface doesn’t have bubbles on top or look foamy after 15 minutes (it should if the yeast isn’t expired), start over with a fresh packet of yeast. Whisk in remaining sugar, the milk, egg, and salt. Once these wet ingredients are mixed together, lightly cover and set the bowl aside as you work on the next step.
  3. Cut the cold butter into 1/4 inch slices and add to a food processor or blender. Top with 2 and 1/2 cups flour. Pulse the mixture 12-15 times, until butter is crumbled into pea-size bits. See photo below for a visual. Using a food processor or blender is best for this dough. Keeping that in mind, if you don’t have one, you can use a pastry cutter to work in the butter.
  4. Pour the flour mixture into the wet yeast mixture. Very gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold *just until* the dry ingredients are moistened. The butter must remain in pieces and crumbles, which creates a flaky pastry. Turn the sticky dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or into any container you can tightly cover.
  5. 1st Refrigeration: Wrap the dough/cover up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.
  6. Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the โ€œrolling and foldingโ€ process. If the dough sat for more than 4 hours, it may have slightly puffed up and that’s ok. (It will deflate as you shape it, which is also ok.) Very generously flour a work surface. The dough is very sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Using the palm of your hands, gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 15×8 inch rectangle. When needed, flour the work surface and dough as you are rolling. Fold the dough into thirds as if it were a business letter. (See photos and video tutorial.) Turn it clockwise and roll it out into a 15 inch long rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise. Youโ€™ll repeat rolling and folding 1 more time for a total of 3 times.
  7. 2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
  8. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Rimmed baking sheets are best because butter may leak from the dough as it bakes. If you don’t have rimmed baking sheets, when it’s time to preheat the oven, place another baking sheet on the oven rack below to catch any butter that may drip.
  9. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut it in half. Wrap 1 half up and keep refrigerated as you work with the first half. (You can freeze half of the dough at this point, use the freezing instructions below.)
  10. Shape into rounds: Cut the first half of dough into 8 even pieces. This will be about 1/4 cup of dough per pastry. Roll each into balls. Flatten each into a 2.5 inch circle. Use your fingers to create a lip around the edges. See photos and video tutorial if needed. Press the center down to flatten the center as much as you can so you can fit the filling inside. (Center puffs up as it bakes.) Arrange pastries 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.
  11. Spoon 2 teaspoons of fruity filling or 1 Tablespoon of cheese filling inside each.
  12. Egg Wash: Whisk the egg wash ingredients together. Brush on the edges of each shaped pastry.
  13. This step is optional, but I very strongly recommend it. Chill the shaped pastries in the refrigerator, covered or uncovered, for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. See recipe note. You can preheat the oven as they finish up chilling.
  14. Preheat oven to 400ยฐF (204ยฐC).
  15. Bake for 19-22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Some butter may leak from the dough, that’s completely normal and expected. Feel free to remove the baking sheets from the oven halfway through baking and brush the dough with any of the leaking butter, then place back in the oven to finish baking. (That’s what I do!)
  16. Remove baked pastries from the oven. Cool for at least 5 minutes before icing/serving.
  17. Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together. If you want a thicker icing, whisk in more confectionersโ€™ sugar. If you want a thinner icing, whisk in more milk or cream. Drizzle over warm pastries and serve.
  18. Cover leftover iced or un-iced pastries and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving. Before enjoying, feel free to reheat leftover iced or un-iced pastries in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the dough as instructed in steps 2-4. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours. You can also prepare the dough through step 6. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 8. You can also freeze the unfilled pastries after shaping them in step 10. Thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step 11.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Whisk | Glass Mixing Bowl | Food Processor, Blender, or Pastry Cutter | Rolling Pin |ย Rimmed Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush
  3. Fruity Fillings: You need around 2/3 cup (about 200g) of filling for the entire recipe (16 pastries). Use jam or fruit preserves, pumpkin butter, apple butter, lemon curd, cherry pie filling, etc. Or even Nutella! You need 2 heaping teaspoons per pastry. Feel free to mix and match, making different flavors in your batch.
  4. Cheese Filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat one 8 ounce block (224g) of full-fat cream cheese that is softened at room temperature in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in 1 large egg yolk, 1/3 cupย (67g)ย granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoonย freshย lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoonย pure vanilla extract until smooth. Use 1 scant Tablespoon per pastry. Feel free to dot the cream cheese filling with fresh berries before baking or mix fruit preserves in with the cream cheese filling (still using 2-3 teaspoons of filling per pastry).
  5. Temperature & Substitutions: The temperature of your ingredients is imperative to this pastry’s success. Make sure you take the time to warm the water and bring the milk to room temperature. Keep the butter in the refrigerator until you need it in step 3. I do not recommend any substitutions in this carefully formulated dough, though a lower fat or nondairy milk works in a pinch. For the egg wash and icing, low fat or nondairy milks work, as do heavy cream or half-and-half.
  6. Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. If needed, you can use active dry yeast instead. The instructions and amount remain exactly the same regardless of which you use.
  7. Optional Step (step 13): Chilling the shaped pastries in the refrigerator helps them maintain their shape in the oven. Remember, cold pastry dough is best. I usually refrigerate them for 15 minutes as the oven preheats. If youโ€™re nervous to chill the baking sheets in the refrigerator then bake them (which can cause warping), you have two other options. You can simply assemble the pastries on parchment paper or silicone baking mats, lift the parchment/baking mat as a whole and place on another baking sheet or directly onto a shelf in the refrigerator. After chilling, carefully lift up and place the entire parchment/baking mat onto the baking sheets for baking. Or you can use a thin spatula and very carefully transfer the assembled unbaked pastries to a large plate to chill.
  8. Halve the Recipe? I don’t recommend halving this dough recipe. Make the dough as written, then freeze half after step 9. Or make 8 breakfast pastries and 1 pastry braid (blueberry cream cheese pastry braid or raspberry pastry braid).
  9. Dough recipe adapted fromย Cooking Illustrated,ย Joy of Cooking, andย Beatrice Ojakangas

Detailed Explanations: How to Make Homemade Breakfast Pastries

This yeasted pastry dough comes together with 8 basic ingredients.

  1. Water: You need 2 liquids in this dough recipe: warm water and room temperature milk. Don’t use all water or all milk; this careful balance is key. Mix the warm water with yeast and some granulated sugar. Cover and wait until the top is a little foamy, as pictured below. (You will do this step no matter if you are using instant yeast or active-dry yeast.)
  2. Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. The instructions, amount, and recipe do not changeโ€”you will still do each of these exact steps regardless of which type you use. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast that is blended with natural dough improvers.
  3. Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens this dough and feeds the yeast. Use 1 Tablespoon at first, then add the rest of the sugar when you whisk in the milk, egg, and salt.
  4. Whole Milk: Use room temperature milk, not warm milk. For best taste and texture, I strongly recommend whole milk.
  5. Egg: 1 egg tenderizes the dough. Don’t skip it!
  6. Salt: Adds flavor.
  7. All-Purpose Flour: You need flour in the dough, plus a generous amount for the rolling, folding, and shaping steps. As you can see in my video tutorial above, it’s helpful to have plenty of extra flour on hand. I use a lot of it!
  8. Cold Butter: Butter is the main ingredient in this dough recipeโ€”you will work it directly into the flour, forming pea-sized crumbles. Just like when we make pie crust or biscuits, make sure the butter is extra cold. If the butter isn’t cold, the butter will melt, the dough will turn to semi-liquid, and you won’t have any layers or flakes in your pastry. The colder the butter (and dough), the better results.
yeast mixture in glass bowl

After the yeast has proofed and foamed (above), whisk in the rest of the sugar, the milk, egg, and salt. We’ll call these the wet ingredients:

wet ingredients for dough in glass bowl

You need a food processor blender for this recipe. If you have neither, use a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the flour. An electric mixer will not work for this step. You are looking for pea-size crumbles of flour coated butter. This step is only possible if the butter is cold.

butter and flour in food processor

Pour the butter/flour crumbles into the wet ingredients and fold it together using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It is very sticky. Since this dough is so sticky, I do not recommend using an electric mixer. It will create a huge mess! There is minimal mixing required anywayโ€”we don’t want to overwork this dough.

sticky pastry dough

You’ll notice many bits of butter still visible in the doughโ€”that’s a GOOD thing! Wrap the dough up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.

This is the 1st refrigeration.

homemade breakfast pastry dough

Shortcut Lamination

Now let’s do a variation of laminating aka rolling and folding dough and butter together. Remember when we made croissants and laminated the dough with a sheet of butter? The butter is IN this pastry dough. So, instead, we’re just rolling and folding the dough itself. Roll it out into a 15×8 inch rectangle:

rolling and folding pastry dough

Fold it in thirds like a letter:

rolling and folding pastry dough

Turn it clockwise:

rolling and folding pastry dough

Then roll it out into a 15-inch rectangle again. Repeat the folding. Turn it clockwise again. Repeat rolling and folding 1 more time for a total of 3 times. Wrap the laminated dough up tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

This is the 2nd refrigeration.

How to Shape Homemade Breakfast Pastries

This dough recipe yields 16 breakfast pastries. See recipe note above about halving/freezing the dough. Cut the dough in half. (Work with only half the dough at once. Wrap half up and refrigerate until ready to use.) Cut the half of dough into 8 pieces. Roll into balls:

shaping dough for breakfast pastries

Flatten each into a 2.5 inch circle. Use your fingers to create a lip around the edges. Arrange pastries 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.

Spoon your filling of choice inside each, then brush the edges of the pastries with egg wash, which is a combination of 1 egg and milk.

What is the purpose of an egg wash? It guarantees a shiny and crisp golden crust.

shaped breakfast pastries before baking
shaped breakfast pastries before baking

To help guarantee the shaped pastries hold their shape, chill them in the refrigerator as the oven preheats and even up to 1 hour. (See recipe note above.)

Bake until the breakfast pastries are golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, then drizzle with vanilla icing and serve!

breakfast pastries
homemade breakfast pastry
sally mckenney headshot purple shirt.
About the Author

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sallyโ€™s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.

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Reader Comments and Reviews

  1. Lisa says:
    November 4, 2025

    Sallie, have you ever tried this with vegan butter?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      November 4, 2025

      Hi Lisa, we haven’t. Sorry we can’t help more!

      Reply
  2. Marsha Warne says:
    October 4, 2025

    I made these for company once again today and they always impress! Thank you for the step by step process, they always turn out perfectly! I do a combination of fruit and cream cheese filling and everyone loves them.

    Reply
  3. Jessica Peters says:
    September 10, 2025

    Hello, I made these. I love them. I was excited to try a different approach to folding the butter into the dough for layers. I followed the recipe exactly, But I still had butter leak out and all the smoke alarms go off. What am I doing wrong!? What is the trick? I would love to try more of pastries and croissants, but I’m afraid. Does this happen to anyone else? โ˜น๏ธThank you

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 10, 2025

      Hi Jessica, how long did you chill the shaped pastries? It could be that your dough wasn’t quite cold enough and a slightly longer chill time could help. Even so, some butter may leak from the dough, thatโ€™s completely normal and expected. Feel free to remove the baking sheets from the oven halfway through baking and brush the dough with any of the leaking butter, then place back in the oven to finish baking. (Thatโ€™s what we often do!)

      Reply
  4. Alia says:
    August 14, 2025

    Would the unbaked cream cheese filling freeze well? I’m thinking the 8oz of cream cheese probably makes enough for 16 pastries and i only want to make 8

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      August 14, 2025

      Hi Alia, we’re sure you could, but the cream cheese texture may change a bit after freezing and thawing.

      Reply
  5. Madison says:
    August 7, 2025

    I am a teen, and I can say this recipe is teen friendly and easy to follow (the video tutorial also helps) Although I didn’t have a food processor or stand mixer, I made due with my emersion blender. I used 2% milk instead of whole milk and used cherry filling, which I recommended. I really enjoyed this recipe and will make it again!

    Reply
  6. Joe says:
    August 4, 2025

    How large are the baked pastries? They look small in the pictures. Can they be made larger using the same recipe but instead of 16 pastries make them into 8?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      August 4, 2025

      Hi Joe, they’re about 2.5 inches in diameter. You could certainly make larger pastries if you prefer.

      Reply
  7. Kristin says:
    July 19, 2025

    Do you bake the lemon curd with the Danish or add after it’s baked and cooled?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      July 19, 2025

      Add before baking, like you would with any of the other fillings!

      Reply
  8. Shelby says:
    June 24, 2025

    Is it possible to double this recipe or do I need to do it two times?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      June 24, 2025

      Hi Shelby! We recommend making multiple batches instead of multiplying this recipe for best results.

      Reply
  9. Charlotte Otto says:
    May 27, 2025

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALLY!!!!!!!!!!! I made these today and they are great but our oven bakes a little hot so next time I will lower the temp a little.

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      May 30, 2025

      I’m so glad you tried these, and thank you for the birthday wishes!!

      Reply
  10. Natalia says:
    May 21, 2025

    Hello! These looks so wonderful, and I am really excited to make them. Unfortunately, I’m out of whole milk right now, and all I have is evaporated milk. . .is it okay to use this, or is it better to go out and buy some milk instead?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      May 21, 2025

      Hi Natalia, evaporated milk wouldn’t be the best choice for these pastries, we would wait until you have whole milk for best results.

      Reply
      1. Natalia says:
        May 21, 2025

        I see. . .are there really no other substitutions?

      2. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
        May 21, 2025

        A lower fat milk, like 2% would also work well here.

  11. Gabriela says:
    March 24, 2025

    Delicious recipe!! Pretty easy to follow.

    Reply
  12. Debbie C says:
    February 21, 2025

    Love this recipe, can it be used to make turnovers?

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      February 21, 2025

      Hi Debbie, here is our preferred dough for turnovers. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Ann Munro says:
    February 20, 2025

    I had a cinnamon bun today from a European Bakery in town. The dough was different not tradition and not quite puff pastry so Iโ€™m wondering could it have been the Danish dough recipe you posted here? Would you be able to make cinnamon rolls with this dough?
    Thanks love your recipes

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      February 21, 2025

      Hi Ann, We havenโ€™t tested this pastry dough that way before, but let us know if you do. There may be some butter leakage during bake time, but thatโ€™s normal with any way you shape the dough.

      Reply
  14. Chef DJ says:
    December 19, 2024

    Though I have been baking for quite a number of years I have never got up the nerve to make Danish dough. I did try this however and was not disappointed! I am making it again for the second time in a week this time making ahead for Christmas morning. Thank you, for great recipes and always keeping my oven going!

    Reply
  15. Shannon says:
    November 21, 2024

    These are SO delicious and worth the time and effort! I’m an extreme newbie baker and still very much figuring out how to bake with yeast… yet these came out PERFECTLY! They’re puffy, buttery, and wonderfully sweet. The best morning accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

    My only note for anyone else using a dark pan, keep a close eye on them (for me, around the 18 minute mark) to make sure they didn’t get too browned on the bottom.

    Reply
  16. Alicia Nisk says:
    November 15, 2024

    Can you freeze this recipe once it is fully baked with cream cheese filling? Or does this not work well?

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      November 15, 2024

      Hi Alicia! We don’t recommend it. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!

      Reply
      1. Amanda Durham says:
        June 21, 2025

        Can I freeze the shaped pastry order shape the night before and bake off in the morning?

  17. Christine says:
    September 19, 2024

    I love this recipe. I make them for friends and family and they always as for more. I let the dough sit overnight after I do the first Refrigeration

    Reply
  18. Samantha says:
    September 14, 2024

    Hi.
    Would this work with pumpkin for a filling?

    Reply
    1. Michelle @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 14, 2024

      Hi Samantha, Sure, you could give that a try!

      Reply
  19. Gabriella Sacchetti says:
    August 10, 2024

    This is an excellent recipe! Just tried it for the first time – I baked off 8 of them, half the recipe. I made the cream cheese filling and made three versions. 1 tbsp of cream cheese filling topped with 1) fresh blueberries; 2) homemade cranberry orange jam ; and 3) fresh peaches I sliced and precooked (just in case they wouldnโ€™t cook sufficiently in the oven). Magnificent! We cannot decide which combo is best, except to say this recipe is a keeper!!! Highly recommend. Dont hesitate to try it. Very easy.

    Reply
  20. Michele Somerville says:
    August 6, 2024

    I have a question. Can I use pie and pastry flour in this recipe in stead of all purpose flour? Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      August 6, 2024

      Hi Michele, we fear pastry flour may actually be too light for these pastries. Doesnโ€™t make sense since these are pastries, but we fear it wouldnโ€™t hold up to all the butter inside the dough. If you try it, however, please let us know.

      Reply
  21. Sandy kuncze says:
    August 6, 2024

    I can’t wait to try this one. One question, are there other shapes (other than rounds) that can achieve the same result. I’m not sure what is called but the long rectangler braided look? Or is the round shape the best?

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      August 6, 2024

      Hi Sandy, here is our pastry braid recipe and tutorialโ€”hope this helps!

      Reply
  22. Serenity says:
    July 28, 2024

    I’m going to try making these in advance for brunch next Tuesday. Steps 1-4 on Saturday evening. On Monday afternoon I’ll do the folds then back in the fridge till Tuesday morning when I’ll shape, refrigerate, then bake.
    So excited to see how they turn out. I’ll report back here!

    Reply
    1. Serenity says:
      August 6, 2024

      I’ve eaten way too many! This is the first time I’ve made something fancy and complicated and it still didn’t fail. I love the cream cheese style filling the most. Next time I’m going to make a lot more lol. I ate one too many. The only thing strange about mine are that they didn’t ooze out butter? Not sure why but it didn’t matter. It was still flaky and absolutely amazing.

      Reply
  23. Marcia Hendershot says:
    June 30, 2024

    Can the danish be frozen after baking?

    Reply
    1. Erin @ Sally's Baking says:
      July 1, 2024

      Hi Marcia, definitely! See the recipe notes for Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions.

      Reply
  24. Katie says:
    June 19, 2024

    can I make bear claws and other pastries with this dough?

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      June 20, 2024

      Hi Katie, we can’t see why not! Let us know if you give anything a try.

      Reply
  25. Samantha says:
    June 1, 2024

    I canโ€™t wait to see how these turn out. I am at the 2nd refrigeration stage. I pulled the dough out for that stage after 4 hoursโ€ฆ there were still quite a lot of butter pieces visible. Is this normal? Thanks!!

    Reply
    1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
      June 1, 2024

      Hi Samantha! Yes, that’s normal!

      Reply
    2. Samantha says:
      June 1, 2024

      They are so good! Unfortunately even at the minimum time suggested the bottoms were really over done on the first batch. The second batch I put in for the minimum time at 375 and they too came out overdone on the bottoms. Suggestions? Our oven is relatively new so I donโ€™t think the temp is off.

      Reply
      1. Trina @ Sally's Baking says:
        June 1, 2024

        Hi Samantha! Most ovens, even new ovens, are not the temperature they say they are. We always recommend using an in-oven thermometer so you know the exact temperature of your oven. And, as always, keep an eye on your baked goods while they bake so you can pull them out if they are baking faster.

      2. Nicole says:
        January 21, 2025

        Try using a light colored pan, the darker pans always burn the bottoms of baked goods

      3. Charlotte Otto says:
        May 27, 2025

        That is exactly what happened to mine!

  26. Jenna W. says:
    May 29, 2024

    I used this recipe to make breakfast pastries for the first time and I am not sorry that I did because they were wonderful! They looked great and everyone I shared them with loved them. I really appreciate the step by step detailed directions to help me achieve success. Wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  27. Brianne says:
    May 6, 2024

    This is an amazing recipe! Your step-by-step instructions made it so easy! I used the cream cheese filling and it was SO delicious, my family and friends loved them! Thank you!!

    Quick question, can I double this recipe or is it recommended to make 2 separate batches?

    Reply
    1. Lexi @ Sally's Baking says:
      May 6, 2024

      Hi Brianne, we’re so glad you enjoyed the pastries! For best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.

      Reply
  28. Natalie says:
    March 11, 2024

    Your step-by-step instructions and video tutorial made this daunting recipe very achievable!! I need to work on shaping the individual pastries and getting the right size print for the filling, but that’s on me. Delicious, flaky, and oh so fancy!

    Reply