Bear Claw Danish

Directions

• Bear Claw Filling
• Place the almond paste in a mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat to soften.
• Add the sugar and mix until combined.
• Slowly add in the butter and pastry cream to emulsify. Add the kirsch.
• Combine the ground almonds, cake crumbs, lemon zest, and salt.
• Add to the almond paste mixture. Mix until combined.
• Bear Claw Danish (Method: straight dough (rich)/lamination)
• Place milk and yeast in a bowl and stir to mix. Add the egg yolks.
• Add all the other ingredients, except roll-in fat, mixing on low speed until the flour is
  incorporated, then switch to 2nd speed until dough is developed, about 6 to 7 minutes.
• Roll dough the size of a sheet pan and freeze (without paper on the pan) for 30 minutes.
• Roll butter between two pieces of bread floured parchment paper, filling two-thirds of
  the length of the paper. Alternatively, cream the roll-in fat with a paddle on moderate
  speed to a spreadable consistency.
• Remove dough from freezer.
• Place the rolled butter on two-thirds of the dough, fold in thirds to layer in butter, seal.
• Turn the dough 90°, roll out, fold in thirds.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes, roll out again and fold in thirds a second time.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes, roll out again, and fold in thirds for the last time.
• Dough should now be covered and placed back in the refrigerator and left over night
  before cutting into segments for Danish make-up.
• Remove the rested Danish dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into manageable
  batches if needed for your workspace. Roll or sheet the dough out to a uniform thickness
  of 1/8 inch (approx. 3 mm). Trim the edges to create clean, straight rectangles that are
  exactly 8 inches wide and as long as your workspace allows.
• Place your prepared Bear Claw filling into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe
  a continuous strip of almond filling (about 0.75 oz per pastry) down the length of the dough sheet, positioning it just slightly off-center along the lower half of the 8-inch
  width.
• Lightly brush the exposed top edge of the dough strip with egg wash or water to act as
  glue. Fold the top half of the dough over the filling to meet the bottom edge, creating a
  long, enclosed 4-inch wide filled log. Press firmly along the edge with your fingers or a
  pastry wheel to completely seal the seam.
• Using a sharp chef’s knife or a bench scraper, cut the log crosswise into individual
  rectangular portions that are 3 to 3.5 inches wide (each should weigh roughly 2.75
  ounces including dough and filling). On the sealed edge of each individual piece, make 4
  evenly spaced straight cuts (or “bear claw” toes) about 1/2-inch deep into the dough,
  leaving the folded back edge intact.
• Place the individual pastries onto parchment-lined sheet pans. As you lay them down,
  curve the pastry slightly into an arc, gently fanning out the 5 cut segments to open them
  up and form the signature “claws” or “toes” seen below.
• Proof the shaped Bear Claws at 80°F to 85°F until light, puffy, and showing clear
  lamination lines (about 45 to 60 minutes). Avoid high heat so the layered butter doesn’t
  melt out.
• Gently brush the proofed pastries with egg wash. Traditionally, you can press sliced or
  flaked almonds onto the top of the claw right before baking.
• Bake at 385°F (325°F convection) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool
  slightly, then finish with a light drizzle of simple flat icing or donut glaze if desired.