Skandinavische Kringler (Scandinavian kringle pastry)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Dough
- 350 g flour rounded
- 7 g instant yeast rounded
- 40 g sugar rounded
- 150 ml milk, lukewarm rounded
- 1 egg rounded
- 5 g fine salt rounded
- 200 g cold butter, for laminating rounded
Filling and finishing
- 100 g almond paste rounded
- 60 g brown sugar rounded
- 8 g ground cardamom rounded
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash rounded
- 60 g sliced almonds rounded
Method
Method
- Whisk the flour, yeast and sugar together. Add the lukewarm milk, egg and salt, and mix to a smooth dough. Do not knead extensively; just bring it together. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Pound the cold butter between two sheets of parchment into a flat rectangle, about 1 cm thick.
- Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle twice the size of the butter block. Place the butter in the centre and fold the dough over to enclose it completely.
- Roll out into a long rectangle, then fold into thirds, like a letter. Chill for 30 minutes. Repeat this rolling and folding two more times, chilling for 30 minutes between each turn.
- Roll the laminated dough into a long rectangle. Mix the almond paste, brown sugar and cardamom, and spread down the centre third. Fold the sides over the filling and pinch to seal, forming a long log.
- Shape the log into a large pretzel-like loop on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan). Brush with beaten egg and scatter with sliced almonds. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deeply golden brown.
Notes
- Keep the butter properly chilled between every fold. Warm, soft butter squeezes out through the dough instead of staying as a distinct layer; distinct layers of butter and dough are what create the flaky structure lamination is all about.
- Don’t skip the resting time between folds. Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms the butter back up, both of which are needed before the next roll; skipping ahead tears the layers and lets the butter break through.
- Handle the laminated dough gently once filled. Overworking it at this stage can squeeze the butter layers together and flatten the structure you’ve built.
- Best eaten the day it’s baked, though it freezes well before the final egg wash and bake.
Ingredient substitutions
- Almond paste can be swapped for a simple cinnamon-sugar filling if you prefer.
- Cardamom is the traditional Scandinavian spice here; a little cinnamon can stand in if unavailable.
- A simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk drizzled over once cooled is a common finishing touch.