Wienerbrød

Ingredients

• 500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 75g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 10g (2 tsp) salt
• 14g (2 packets) instant yeast
• 2 large eggs
• 220ml (scant 1 cup) cold whole milk
• 300g (1 1/3 cups) cold unsalted butter, for laminating
• 100g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, for the filling
• 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, for the filling
• 100g (1 cup) almond flour, for the filling
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
• 150g (1 1/4 cups) powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp milk, for the icing
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds, for topping

Before you cook

• Cut the 300g cold butter for laminating into a flat 6-by-8-inch rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper and keep it refrigerated
• Beat together the softened butter, sugar, almond flour, and almond extract in a small bowl until smooth to make the filling, then cover and refrigerate it
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir in the instant yeast
• Beat the eggs with the cold milk in a separate bowl

Steps

1. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until a rough, slightly sticky dough forms
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes, just until it comes together smoothly, then shape it into a rectangle
3. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to relax
4. Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle roughly twice the size of your butter block
5. Place the cold butter block in the center of the dough and fold the two ends of the dough over it like folding a letter, fully enclosing the butter
6. Turn the dough 90 degrees, then roll it out into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick
7. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes
8. Repeat the rolling and folding into thirds two more times, chilling for 30 minutes between each fold, to build the laminated layers
9. After the final fold, refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or up to overnight
10. Roll the laminated dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick
11. Cut the dough into 8 even squares
12. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the almond filling into the center of each square
13. Fold two opposite corners of each square into the center, overlapping them slightly over the filling, and press to seal
14. Place the shaped pastries on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them well apart
15. Cover the pastries loosely with a kitchen towel and let them proof in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until visibly puffy
16. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
17. Brush each proofed pastry gently with the beaten egg wash
18. Scatter a few sliced almonds over the exposed filling of each pastry
19. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden brown and the layers have visibly separated
20. Cool the pastries on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes
21. Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk until you have a smooth, pourable icing
22. Drizzle the icing over the warm pastries and let it set for a few minutes before serving