Baklava Sunburst Tear and Share Treat #BreadBakers

 

As soon as I saw the theme of holiday tear and share for December, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  Well, somewhat exactly.  I knew I wanted it to be a breakfast goodie, I knew what pastry dough I was going to use, and I knew what flavor I wanted the filling.  I merely had to settle on a shape and debate on whether it wanted a traditional baklava glaze.  I did, it did, and it turned out amazing!  This treat is fantastically and dangerously good and I quickly gave half of it away to avoid temptation.  It's actually not that sweet, especially without the glaze, but it surely is rich!  It got approval from all teens in the house as well.  (Though I can't believe one wanted to put whipped cream on top!  I mean yes, delicious, but oh my richness.) One of these twists will hold you quite well from breakfast all the way to lunch.  Good stuff.

 

One of the really cool things about this recipe is that it can all be done ahead.  That's right, every part up to baking can be done ahead and frozen, then thawed and baked to endless ooo's and ahhh's of family and friends.  It can also be done in stages, as time permits.  Pretty much perfect to reduce holiday stress.  I actually made the rough puff pastry and pre-rolled it out, then rolled the pieces up in parchment and froze them overnight just like you would have store bought puff pastry in the freezer.  I thawed them the next morning and rolled to smooth any cracks from unrolling too quickly (as we all do with puff pastry), then filled, shaped, proofed, and baked!  I love this dough.  So dare I say, even though there are multiple steps, this impressive looking loaf is easy to put together!

Just look at those layers!

Special thanks for Felice of All That's Left Are The Crumbs for hosting and coming up with this theme!

Baklava Sunburst Spiral Danish

Dough:
3 cups (15 oz) all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
2¼ tsp instant yeast
¾ tsp salt
20 tbsp (1¼ cups or 2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-in slices and chilled
1 cup sour cream, cold
¼ cup orange juice, cold
3 tbsp ice water

1 large egg yolk

Filling  

(makes enough for 2 batches)

 
 ½ cup/98 g granulated sugar
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup/25 g pistachios
¼ cup/27 g walnuts
¼ cup/30 g pecans
Zest of ½ lemon
¼ tsp sea salt
2¼ tsp vanilla extract
---

¼ cup/57 g unsalted butter, melted

Honey syrup glaze

(makes enough for 2 batches)
½ cup/170 g wildflower honey
½ cup/120 ml water

1 tsp rose water (optional, but you won't even notice it - give it a try!)

Pinch of sea salt

Prepare the filling and honey syrup.  This can be done a day in advance and refrigerated.
In the bowl of a food processor combine the pistachios, walnuts, pecans, lemon zest and sea salt. Process until the nuts are ground fine. Add the vanilla extract and process until the mixture forms large moist clumps. Add the sugar and cinnamon and pulse until combined back into fine crumbs.  Half can be set aside for another batch, or some can be used to sprinkle on top after glazing.  (Each separate batch will require ¼ butter for the top of the dough.)

For the honey syrup glaze, combine the honey, rose water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced by one third.  (There should be about 2/3 cup left.)  Let the syrup cool slightly then transfer it to a liquid measuring cup to cool further.  (After using the syrup, the rest may be saved for a few days in the refrigerator for another loaf, or frozen for a month until you've worked off enough calories to make this again.)

For the pastry dough:

(Can be made in advance and frozen in a block or rolled out and rolled up in parchment and sealed, then frozen.)

Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large (gallon size) zip top bag. Add butter to bag and seal. Shake bag to coat butter. Press all the air out of the bag and seal.  Gently pound all over the bag to flatten all the chunks of butter.  Flip the bag over and repeat.  Be careful not to pound too hard close to the seal just in case it pops open.  Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl. Toss the flour and butter pieces and sheet any lumpy pieces with your fingers.  Combine sour cream, juice, water and yolk in a 2-cup glass measure and mix to combine. Stir and fold into flour mixture until combined.

Turn the shaggy dough onto a floured counter and pat into a rough rectangle.  Using a bench scraper, bring up the sides and fold into the middle a couple times on each side, pressing down between folds.  Knead briefly to form a cohesive mixture. Roll the dough out into a 20x12-in rectangle. Starting at a short edge, roll the dough up into a tight cylinder. Flatten the roll by patting into a 12x4-in slab. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 15 minutes.  Remove dough from freezer and place on lightly floured counter. Roll into two 12-inch squares, or 12½-inch circles.  (The dough may be rolled up in parchment and frozen at this point.)  

 

Working with one piece of dough on parchment, spread the filling over the top to within ¼-in of the edges. Place the second piece over the filling and lightly press together.  Mark the center by lightly pressing with a small glass to make a circle.  Cut out from the circle to form four quadrants, then cut each section into five pieces.  Trim the edges to form a tidy round shape.  Starting with one and twisting in the same direction each time, twist each piece around to form a spiral. Slide the loaf onto a rimmed baking sheet.  (You do not want any butter oil leaking onto the oven floor.)

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 4 hours or up to 1 day.  (Or freeze and wrap very well to bake within two weeks.)

Adjust the oven rack to the middle and place a dish with 3 cups of boiling water on the bottom of the oven. Remove plastic and place loaf in the oven. Do not turn on the oven yet. Close oven door and let the buns proof for 30-45 minutes until slightly puffed and softened. Remove loaf and water dish from oven. Now heat oven to 425ºF.  Bake until loaf starts to rise, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 325ºF.

Bake for another 40-50 minutes until deep golden brown, rotating pan halfway through. 

 

Remove from oven and brush honey syrup over spiral using two coats.  Best served warm but good at room temperature as well. 
 

Keep the goodie covered with plastic wrap or in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.  Reheat in an oven or air fryer.  (5-7 minutes at 350ºF for the oven, 3 minutes at 350ºF for the air fryer.)

Each pat of butter should
be sliced into four bars.

You can sheet the butter with a
 rolling pin, or your fists.

Toss together and sheet any
lumpy pieces with fingers.

Turn out rough dough.

Pat into rectangle.

Fold in edges with bench scraper.

Fold and/or knead until cohesive,
then roll out flat, roll up and press
down into rectangle again. (Layers.)

For now, or later.  Just like
store bought, only better.

Spread filling close to edges.

Mark center and cut into 20 sections.

Trim the edges neatly.  Put the
scraps in a ramekin to bake for
taste testing!

Twist, twist, twist.

It won't rise much, but will puff just
slightly and soften a bit.

You have no idea how good this smells!!

All glazed and ready to indulge!

OMG.  So good.

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month the Bread Bakers are making Tear & Share Holiday Breads, a theme chosen by Felice from All That's Left Are The Crumbs.

And don’t forget to check out all the amazing breads baked by our talented bakers ~

• Baklava Danish Tear and Share Treat Bread by A Messy Kitchen
• Buttery Soft Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy Chicken Chutney Pull Apart Skillet Rolls by Sneha's Recipe
• Cheesy Tomato Tapenade Party Bread by Food Lust People Love
• Cranberry Cinnamon Star Bread by Making Miracles
• Fruit Mince Braided Star Bread by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Gingerbread Spice Christmas Tree Bread by Passion Kneaded
• Herb and Cheese Star Bread by Ambrosia
• Koledna Pitka - Bulgarian Christmas Eve Bread by Magical Ingredients
• Sourdough Finnish Pulla Bread by Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Loaf by Palatable Pastime
• Spiced Chrysanthemum Bread by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Turkey, Cranberry and Cheese Pull Apart Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Rough puff is so awesome.