I think for me the standard danish flavor is usually lemon, but this time I decided to change it up a bit. I liked the result, but you’re more than welcome to try your own variations as well!

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a yeast dough before that you leave chunks of butter in, like a scone or biscuit, but this dough comes together easily with no kneading, and makes a nicely textured danish.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 can pineapple pie filling (or some lemon curd, raspberry jelly, some sort of chocolate product…whatever you’d like)
  

Stir together the yeast, teaspoon of sugar, and warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is reduced to small pea-sized bits throughout the flour.

Warm the milk slightly and beat in the egg yolk.

The yeast mixture’s on the right.

Stir both the egg mixture and the yeast mixture into the flour, continuing to stir until the flour’s all evenly moistened.

Cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight. I left mine about 9 hours and it still hadn’t risen all that much.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 6X14″ rectangle. Cut lengthwise to make 8 14″ strips.

Twist each strip so that it’s a long twisted rope. I found it easiest to start from the middle, and work my way out to both ends.

Curl your twisted strip up into a tight spiral, tucking the very end underneath, and place on a parchment-lined sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover, and let rise for 1 hour somewhere warm and draft free. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, spread the pineapple pie filling to within a centimeter of the edges.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and enough of the milk to reach a drizzle-able consistency, and drizzle over the danish.

Breakfast is served!

Pineapple Danish

Slightly adapted from A Tale of One Foodie’s Culinary Adventures.

• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 can pineapple pie filling
  

Stir together the yeast, teaspoon of sugar, and warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is reduced to small pea-sized bits throughout the flour.

Warm the milk slightly and beat in the egg yolk.Stir both the egg mixture and the yeast mixture into the flour, continuing to stir until the flour’s all evenly moistened. Cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 6X14″ rectangle. Cut lengthwise to make 8 14″ strips. Twist each strip so that it’s a long twisted rope. Curl your twisted strips up into a tight spiral, tucking the very end underneath, and place on a parchment-lined sheet. Cover, and let rise for 1 hour somewhere warm and draft free.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, spread the pineapple pie filling to within a centimeter of the edges.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and enough of the milk to reach a drizzle-able consistency, and drizzle over the danish.