Cheese Danish Recipe

Make dough

Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant dry yeast in a large bowl. Cut 10 tbsp cold unsalted butter into small cubes and rub into the flour with fingertips or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add whole milk and cold water and mix just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, shape into a flat rectangle about 1-inch thick, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.

Prepare butter block

Meanwhile, place the 12 tbsp cold butter between two pieces of parchment and bash/roll into a 6x8-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Keep edges square; chill if it softens. The butter block should be pliable but cold.

Laminate (simple 3-fold)

On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Place butter block on one half of dough and fold the other half over to encase butter. Press edges to seal. Roll gently into a 8x14-inch rectangle, then perform a letter fold (fold one third over center, then fold remaining third over). Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes. Repeat rolling to 8x14-inch and letter fold once more, then chill at least 30–60 minutes (you can refrigerate overnight). These folds create layers for a flaky Danish. Keep everything cold between turns.

Shape pastries

After final chill, roll dough to a 12x16-inch rectangle about 1/8–1/4-inch thick. Cut 8 equal rectangles (approximately 4x6 inches) or 12 smaller rectangles for smaller Danish. For each rectangle, place 2 tablespoons of cheese filling (see next section) in the center. Fold corners or create a classic Danish shape: fold the short ends toward the center and press lightly, or fold each corner toward the center leaving a small hole to expose filling. Place shaped pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing 2 inches apart. Beat the egg with 1 tbsp water to make egg wash; brush pastries lightly but leave exposed filling untouched. Cover loosely and proof in a warm place for 45–60 minutes until puffy (not doubled).

Bake

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush again lightly with egg wash just before baking. Bake racks in middle of oven for 15–20 minutes (for 4x6) or 12–16 minutes (smaller), until pastry is golden brown and internal dough is cooked. Rotate pan halfway for even browning. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack.

Make filling

In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and 1 egg yolk. Beat until fully combined and smooth, scraping down sides. The filling should be thick but pipeable; if too stiff, fold in up to 1 teaspoon milk. Chill briefly if it gets too soft while shaping the pastries.

Apricot glaze

Warm 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan or microwave until loose. Strain if needed and brush lightly over the hot baked pastries to give a glossy finish. Let set briefly.

Sugar drizzle

For a simple drizzle, whisk powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons milk until smooth and slightly thick but pourable. Drizzle over cooled Danish with a spoon or piping bag for a decorative finish. Allow glaze to set before serving.