Danish Pastry

Mix 320 g bread flour, 180 ml milk, 45 g sugar, and 6 g instant yeast into a smooth dough.

Cover and let rise for about 1 hour, until visibly puffy. Refrigerate until cool throughout before enclosing the butter.

Keep the 180 g butter cold and flatten it into an even slab, aiming for slightly firmer than the dough.

If it cracks when pressed, let it sit briefly so it can roll without breaking layers.

Enclose the butter completely, roll the dough into a long rectangle, and fold it into thirds like a letter.

Rotate 90 degrees before the next turn and complete 3 turns in total. Chill for at least 20 minutes between turns and for 2 hours after the last. Stop and rechill if the butter leaks or smears.

Roll the chilled dough evenly, cut it into 8 squares, and press a shallow well in the center of each piece.

Avoid crushing the edges, because those exposed layers need room to lift in the oven.

Cover the shaped dough and proof for about 1 hour in a cool room, until the edges look puffy; avoid a warm spot that melts the butter. Gently press the center wells again and divide 180 g cold pastry cream among the 8 pieces.

Bake in a 190°C oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until the layers separate and the tops turn deep golden.

Remove the pastries when the pastry cream looks set and glossy, then let them cool slightly before serving.