Kringle
Servings 2 kringles
Equipment
- 2 jelly roll pans or baking sheets
Ingredients
Dough
- 12 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter, at room temperature
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one package)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 egg
- 2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 5 ⅓ tablespoons unsalted cultured butter
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 egg white
- 1 ½ cup nuts (pecan, walnut, etc.), chopped
Instructions
Day One – Prepare dough
- Let butter come to room temperature.
- Cut two sheets of wax paper, each 20 inches long.
- Place 1 stick and ½ stick of butter, end to end, in center of one sheet of wax paper, so they are parallel with the long side of the sheet of paper.
- Place second sheet of wax paper on top of first sheet and butter.
- Use rolling pin to pound the butter into a rectangle between the two sheets of wax paper.
- Then use rolling pin to roll out butter, still between the sheets of paper, until it is a 8-inch by 16-inch rectangle.
- Place butter, still between sheets of paper, on jelly roll pan and place in refrigerator.
- Heat water to between 105° and 115°F.
- Separately heat milk to between 105° and 115°F.
- In medium sized mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
- Add milk, sugar, salt, lemon extract, and egg.
- Mix well.
- Add flour.
- By hand, mix until smooth dough forms.
- Wrap dough with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
Day One – Roll and fold dough
- Roll chilled dough on pastry cloth to an 8-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
- Cut chilled butter in two pieces, each about 8 inches square.
- Return one piece of butter to the refrigerator.
- Remove wax paper from other piece of butter and place butter on ⅔ of dough.
- Fold uncovered third of dough over middle third.
- Fold remaining third of dough over the middle third. The butter should be completed enclosed by the dough.
- Wrap folded dough and place in refrigerator.
Day Two – Roll and fold dough
- Roll chilled dough on pastry cloth to an 8-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
- Remove wax paper from remaining piece of butter and place butter on ⅔ of dough.
- Fold uncovered third of dough over middle third.
- Fold remaining third of dough over the middle third. The butter should be completed enclosed by the dough.
- Roll dough on pastry cloth to an 8-inch by 16-inch rectangle.
- Fold dough like above in thirds.
- Wrap folded dough and place in refrigerator.
Day Three – Roll dough
- Roll and fold dough two more times.
- Cut dough into two pieces.
- Roll each piece on pastry cloth to an 8-inch by 24-inch rectangle.
- Place rolled pieces in refrigerator.
Day Three – Prepare filling and assemble kringles
- Prepare filling by mixing together in a bowl all the filling ingredients other than the nuts: brown sugar, ⅓ cup butter, pinch of salt, pinch of cinnamon, and egg white.
- Divide filling into two equal portions.
- Divide nuts into two equal portions.
- For each kringle, spread filling across center ⅓ of dough, lengthwise.
- Spread nuts over filling.
- Fold one of long edges of dough to middle.
- Moisten folded edge of dough with water or egg white.
- Fold other edge of dough over top to cover filling.
- Press and pinch to seal well.
- Leave the dough with the sealed side up. This reduces the changes that butter from the filling will leak out which the kringle is baking.
- Place dough on lightly greased baking sheet.
- Shape each kringle into an oval.
- Fold one end of kringle into other end, to create continuous oval, brushing folded-in edges with water or egg white, and pressing and pinching to seal ends.
- Flatten entire oval with hands.
- Cover kringle for one hour at room temperature.
Day Three – Bake kringles
- Preheat over to 350° F.
- Bake kringle until golden brown, approx. 25 minutes.
- Cool and, if desired, ice with mixture of powdered sugar and water.
Notes
Best if made over three days.
Adapted from O & H Danish Bakery's Kringle.