Apricot and Almond Viennoiserie Feuilletée

Ingredients

• Strong white bread flour500g
• Fine sea salt10g
• Caster sugar60g
• Instant dried yeast8g
• Whole milk, cold160g
• Water, cold80g
• Unsalted butter, softened (for dough)50g
• Unsalted butter, cold (for lamination)280g
• Ground almonds120g
• Icing sugar120g
• Unsalted butter, room temperature (for frangipane)120g
• Eggs2 whole
• Cornstarch10g
• Pure almond extract2g
• Fresh apricots, halved and stoned8 count
• Apricot jam80g
• Egg yolk (for egg wash)2 count
• Double cream (for egg wash)20g
• Flaked almonds40g
• Pearl sugar20g

Method

1. 1.Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook. Add cold milk, water, and softened butter. Mix on low 3 minutes, then medium 5 minutes until smooth but not fully developed.
2. 2.Shape into a rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight (minimum 8 hours).
3. 3.Beat the cold lamination butter between parchment into a 20×20cm square. Keep cool but pliable.
4. 4.Roll dough into a 45×20cm rectangle. Encase the butter block in the centre, fold ends over, and seal. This is the start of your lamination (feuilletage).
5. 5.Roll to 60×20cm. Perform a double fold (book fold). Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Repeat twice more for 3 folds total, chilling between each.
6. 6.Make frangipane: beat room-temperature butter and icing sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time, then fold in ground almonds, cornstarch, and almond extract. Refrigerate until firm.
7. 7.Roll rested dough to 4mm thick. Cut into 10×12cm rectangles. Score a 1cm border around each without cutting through.
8. 8.Spread a thin layer of apricot jam inside the border, then pipe or spoon 30g of frangipane over the jam.
9. 9.Press half an apricot, cut-side down, into the frangipane on each pastry. Mix egg yolk and cream, brush the borders.
10. 10.Scatter flaked almonds and pearl sugar over the borders. Prove at 24°C for 90 minutes until visibly puffed and the layers look pillowy.
11. 11.Bake at 180°C (fan) for 22–25 minutes until deep golden. Glaze with warm apricot jam immediately out of the oven. Cool on a wire rack.