Cranberry Kringle
 
Makes 2 (8½-inch) Kringles
Ingredients
  • Dough:
  • ¾ cup (173 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 (0.25-ounce) package (16 grams) active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water (105° to 110°)
  • ¼ cup warm whole milk (105° to 110°)
  • ¼ cup (48 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • Cranberry Preserves:
  • 1 cup (100 grams) fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, drained if frozen
  • ¼ cup (48 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon orange zest
  • Butterscotch Filling:
  • 1 cup (240 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup (77 grams) butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.5 gram) ground cinnamon
  • 2 large egg whites, reserving yolks for egg wash
  • ¼ cup (35 grams) all-purpose flour
  • Icing:
  • 3 cups (576 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
  1. For dough: On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, spread butter into 2 (8-inch) squares, and refrigerate.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine yeast and ¼ cup warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 8 minutes. Whisk in warm milk, sugar, egg, salt, and extract. Add the flour, kneading by hand until smooth, adding additional flour if necessary.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Place 1 square of butter on bottom two-thirds of dough rectangle, peeling off parchment. Fold the uncovered third of dough over the middle third, covering half of butter layer. Fold remaining third of butter and dough over top. Wrap, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
  4. Unwrap dough, and roll into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Place remaining square of butter on bottom two-thirds of dough rectangle, and peel off parchment. Repeat folding method.
  5. Roll the dough again to an 8x12-inch rectangle, folding one end over middle third, and remaining third over top, creating 18 layers of butter. Wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight.
  6. For cranberry preserves: In a medium saucepot, bring cranberries, sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and zest to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely.
  7. For butterscotch filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon until smooth. Beat in egg whites. Stir in flour, mixing just until combined.
  8. To assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to an 11x19-inch rectangle, being careful not to break layers of butter. Cut dough in half, creating 2 (5½x19-inch) rectangles, and transfer to 2 sheets of parchment.
  9. Spread the butterscotch filling equally down the center third of each strip of dough. Spoon each kringle with ¼ cup of cranberry preserves over filling. Fold one of the long edges over, completely covering filling. In a small bowl, whisk together reserved egg yolks with 2 tablespoons water. Brush entire side with egg wash, and fold remaining dough over, pinching tightly to seal. (If not sealed tightly, filling will spill out during baking.) Transfer on parchment to 2 baking sheets.
  10. Form dough into an oval ring shape, seam side up, pressing the ends of the dough together to form a continuous oval kringle. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  11. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush kringle with egg wash, and bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely.
  12. For icing: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Spread over the top of Kringle.
Notes
Pro Tip: The best quality Kringle requires time. This process is most successful when spread out over three days. Day 1: Roll in first piece of butter. Day 2: Roll in second piece of butter and additional folds. Day 3: Create your Kringle or other fine Danish pastries from the dough. A quality Danish pastry should be light, tender, flaky, and full of flavor. With patience and pride, this recipe will yield just that.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://staging.bakefromscratch.com/cranberry-kringle/