Leavened puff pastry braids
MediumIngredients
- 225 gr sifted flour 270-300 W
- 30 gr of milk
- 25 gr of water
- 10 gr Brewer’s yeast
- 1 egg
- 55 gr of sugar
- 10 gr butter
- 2 gr of honey
- 2 gr of orange peel and grated lemon
- 1 vanilla bean
- 8 gr of salt
- 100 gr butter for the puff pastry
Method
1) Prepare the first dough with the following ingredients:
30 gr of milk
25 gr of water
10 gr of Brewer’s yeast
5 gr of honey
1 egg
125 gr of flour 270-300 W
Mix all of the ingredients well in a bowl with a spatula.
Leave to rest for 30 minutes in a place with a temperature between 26 ° C and 28 ° C.
2) After 30 minutes prepare the second dough and add to the first:
100 gr of sifted flour
vanilla bean seeds
55 gr of sugar
3) Using a stand mixer with a hook, at relatively low speeds, mix well until a homogeneous and smooth mixture is obtained.
4) Mix well to form the gluten chain.
Now add 10 g of butter to the dough and cream.
The dough will tend to separate.
5) Continue to mix until the dough is smooth again.
Add 8 gr of salt.
NB: salt contributes to improving the flavor of the recipe. It makes the gluten chain stronger and slightly slows the leavening.
Continue to knead until it is smooth and homogeneous again.
If it is too sticky, add some flour. If it is too dry, add a little milk.
6) Now put the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, place 100 g of butter for the puff pastry between two sheets of parchment paper. Flatten the butter with a rolling pin. The butter must be around 14° C.
Layering the dough
The dough must be between 4° C and 6° C.
The butter must be around 14° C.
The puff pastry must be folded 3 times in 3 parts.
With a rolling pin, flatten the butter between 2 sheets of parchment paper until you get a piece about 8 mm thick at a temperature of 14° C.
Briefly knead the dough to strengthen the gluten. The dough should not be heated above 6° C. Place the dough on the counter sprinkled with a little flour. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin just enough to hold the butter.
If the dough does not rest for the right amount of time it will tend to shorten.
During layering, the dough layer must maintain a rectangular shape.
With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough.
This is necessary to flatten the butter.
When rolling, use a little flour, just enough to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter.
If the dough breaks while it is being rolled out with a rolling pin, the gas during leavening and cooking will come out, obtaining a heavy and raw dough.
Roll out the dough, just enough to make 3 folds, then fold the dough into 3 parts.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 8mm.
Put the covered dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes if it’s in winter, 30-40 minutes in the summer.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Lightly roll the dough again with a rolling pin, then roll it out to 7 mm thickness and make a second 3 fold.
Put the dough back in the refrigerator on a tray covered with plastic wrap.
Remove from the refrigerator.
Repeat another 3 fold, rolling the dough out to 6 mm thickness.
Cover with plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator.
After resting, place the dough on the counter and roll it out to 3 mm thickness.
HOW TO MAKE THE BRAID:
- Brush a 1/3 wide strip on the short side of the rectangle with a wash made of egg and a little milk.
Fold in half.
Now brush the crease with blueberry jam or apricot jam. Fold the last layer over the jam. - Lightly roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
- Cut a strip into 10 cm long by 4 cm wide.
- Now with a knife make a cut in the central part lengthwise leaving 1.5 cm at the edges.
- Take the short side of the dough strip and, with a rotating movement, fold it, pushing it into the cut you made.
- Turn the other opposite side of the dough in the opposite direction 2 times.
- Pull lightly.
Before cooking, brush with a boiled syrup made with 50% water and 50% sugar.
