Bear Claws
Source of Recipe
by Maureen, from the Recipe Cottage
2 each egg -- beaten
3/4 cup water -- 85 degree
1 package dry yeast
Have all ingredients at 70 degrees to start
Dissolve the yeast in the egg-water mixture, let rest 15 minutes in
fridge.
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Blend with pastry blender 4 cups unbleached unbromated flour
1tsp salt
2T sugar
1/2 c unsalted fresh butter
(my optional ingredient - 1T vanilla sugar)
You want this dry mixture to be finer than pie pastry in terms of lumps, but not super-blended. The butter lumps help form the flakey layers.
Using the pie dough method, gently work the yeast mixture into the dry mixture. Knead GENTLY for 2-3 minutes, adding as little flour as possible to keep dough from sticking. form into a ball, and let it rest
in fridge 20 minutes (or more).
under cool water, knead *1 1/2 cups unsalted butter with your hands to make it pliable, elastic, and smooth, but not soft. Take it out of the water, pat dry, and put aside unrefrigerated. Roll the yeast dough into
an oblong 1/2" thick and twice as long as wide, sort of towel shaped. On 2/3 of the dough, dot 1/4 ofthe butter. Fold the unbuttered third over the cnter third (sort of like folding a towel in thirds)Then fold the
doubled portion over the remaining third of buttered dough. If you don't visualize this, practice with a tea towel first until you think you got it. Roll the dough into roughly the same size it was when you first buttered it.
Each time you do this, it is called a "turn". At this point you may want to chill the dough and the butter for a few minutes. What you do not want is melty squirty butter, you want pliable play dough like butter. Do this 2 more times - 3 more "turns", chilling as necessary.
For Bear Claws:
after the 4th turn, chill dough again slightly.
Roll it into the dame oblong shape you first rolled it. Trim the edges USING AFIRM DOWNWARD CUT, NOT A SAWING MOTION with a very sharp knife or a razor blade. Then make another cutinthe middle, the long way, so you have two long pieces. Cut each one of these in six crossways pieces. You should have 12 pieces. Place 1/12 of the filling not quite in the middle of each piece. Fold over the longer edge, and sort of pat down the filling, but you do not want it coming out of the edge. Do this 12 times, chilling the pieces as filled if you are going slow and it is a hot day. the cut each pieceON THE FOLDED EDGE 5 times 2/3 up to the folded edge, then pull apart for the "Claws of the Bear". This is easy using the thicker filling, but if you want, you can cut from the cut edge 2/3 up to the folded edge, leaving more of filling to bake enclosed, and not oozy. It bakes such a lovely golden, puffy brown, this filling, that I cut it from the fold to expose more filling. Your choice. Let rise, covered loosely, for about a half hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Beat *1 egg with 1T water. brush carefully on risen pastry, but not thickly on cut areas, for the sharp firm cut allows the dough to rises as high as possible, and a thick egg wash could prohibit the rise by keeping the "turned" layers together, not letting them spread. I cannot stress enough to be careful in your cuts for a high, light, crisp dough.
Bake on a lightly butterd cookie sheet ( I let mine rise on the sheets) at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until browned to your liking.>
You may garnish before baking as I suggested with the *chopped roasted almonds, or swedish pearl sugar, or AFTER baking with a light rum glaze, or heated apricot jam (my husband's favorite). I like the nut garnish, myself.
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