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This is a fine pastry recipe and takes extra time and steps to prepare but can be refrigerated or frozen.

1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Place sugar, butter, salt, milk, water in a bowl and mix until you can tell that the sugar is fully dissolved.  Sprinkle the  yeast on top and let sit on counter for about an hour.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix with plastic or wooden spoon until pasty.  Add a bit more flour until comes easily from bowl and place on counter.  Dust with flour and pat down, and knead lightly, pushing out a bit of the air.  

Place 3 sheets of wax paper, slightly overlapping on your counter.  Lightly flour.  Empty dough from bowl and place on middle sheet.
Take 1/2 cup of butter, cut into small chunks or creamed and place in the middle, on the top.  Fold over and over 4 times and pat down, then roll out, covering 2 sides of wax paper.
Fold 4 corners into middle and flip onto other piece of wax paper. Flip and flour the other pieces of wax paper, you will be rolling this dough back onto it and want a clean surface.
Place the other 1/2 cup of butter on top, fold over and over.  Press down and flip to other side of wax paper.   Using a rolling pin flatten until about 1/2 inch thick.
Fold corners into the center and fold over again and again Then flip onto other wax paper.  Repeat this procedure 3 times.    Can you remind me again why am I doing all this work???? You are "incorporating" the butter deeply into the risen pasty. When it cooks it heats from the inside, heating the dough quickly giving you a light, flaky pasty. Don't give up now, it's just getting fun....
Page 2  Folding and baking, decorating your Danish Pastries