Day 4: Pain aux Raisins

Today we are off to France, to have some pastries. I made a Pate a Brioche Feuilletee (which translates literally to mean a Flaky Brioche Dough, but it is a french quick sweet puff pastry). I choose to use this pastry to make Pain aux Raisins, but you could make croissants, pain au chocolate and most pastries.

Firstly I made a simple puff pastry. After hearing the words 'puff pastry' some people might run in the opposite direction, but please don't. Again this is a simple dough to make but is time consuming. If you want to make these for breakfast, I suggest you make the dough and almond cream the night before so all you have to do is construct the pastries, let them rise and cook them in the morning.

My pastires were not amazing, due to them spreading. This could be beacause i didn't leave the pastries in the fridge for long enough.

 

Pain aux Raisins Recipe

Pate a Brioche Feuilletee

Prep time: 60 minutes

Rising time: 3 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

7g instant dried yeast

1 egg

250g plain flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

15ml cold water

100g unsalted butter 

Method:

1. Place the yeast, egg, flour, sugar, salt and water in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix together at a medium speed, and stop as soon as the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to cool.
2. Cream the butter until soft.
3. Remove the dough from the freezer and roll out into a rectangle 3 times as long as its width. Place half the butter on the bottom edge of the dough. Using your palm push the butter evenly over two thirds of the dough.
4. Fold the dough into thirds, folding the un-buttered third down first. Chill in the freezer for 30minuites, than refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other half of the dough.
5. The dough can now be refrigerated until it is needed.

Almond Cream

Almond cream is similar to a creme patisserie, but does not use the hob. It is traditionally used to fill cakes and pastries.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

80g unsalted butter

80g icing sugar

5g cornflour

80g ground almonds

1 egg

100ml creme fraiche

Method:

1. Cut the butter into squares and place in a bowl. Cream the butter with a spatula to soften it. It is important to cream the butter without making it fluffy. If air is beaten in, the almond cream will rise during baking but will collapse and lose its shape when it comes out of the oven.
2. Add the icing sugar, cornflour and ground almonds to the butter mixture. Cream this into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon. Fold the egg into the butter mixture. Pour in the creme fraiche and mix until smooth.
3. The almond cream will keep in the fridge for 36 - 48 hours or can be frozen until required.

To construct the Pain aux Raisin:
Ingredients:
150g raisins
50g icing sugar
2 teaspoons orange juice

1. On a floured surface roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle and to 2 cm thick.
2. Spread the almond cream over the pastry.
3. Sprinkle raisins evenly on top of the almond cream.
4. Roll the up like a swiss roll, starting from one of the long edges.
5. Using a separated knife roll into 8 slices, each one being about 2cm thick and place on a greased baking sheet, lined with baking parchment. Make sure the pastries are spread out as they will expand when they are left to rise.
6. Place the pastries into the freezer for 30 minutes and then put them in a warm room to double in size. It will take about 30 - 60 minutes depending on the temperature of the room.
7. Preheat the oven to C180. Cook the pastries for 18 - 20 minutes, until golden.
8. Whilst the pastries are cooking make the icing sugar glaze. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the orange juice. This should make a runny liquid which can be drizzled over the pastries when they come out of the oven.  

Makes: 8 pain aux raisins

Total Prep time:

Cook: 18 - 20 minuites