Danish Pastry Wreath

Directions

1. In bowl, beat butter and the 1/4 cup of flour with a wooden spoon until smooth. Place one 13" x 9" sheet of waxed paper on wet surface. Spread the butter and flour mixture onto waxed paper to form a 12” x 8” rectangle. Cover the rectangle with another sheet of 13" x 9" waxed paper, place on cookie sheet, and refrigerate until dough is ready.
2. Heat milk slightly. Add sugar and salt; stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Pour water into a separate large bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and stir to dissolve yeast. Stir in milk mixture, egg, and 3 cups of flour; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in remaining 3/4 cup of flour with hands until dough leaves sides of bowl. Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for 1/2 hour.
4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured pastry cloth; roll into 16” x 12” rectangle. Removed waxed paper from chilled butter layer and place on half of dough. Fold the other half of dough over butter layer; pinch the edges to seal.
5. With the fold on your right, roll the dough out from the center to a 16” x 8” rectangle. From the short side, fold the dough into thirds, making 3 layers; seal the edges; chill for 1 hour.
6. Repeat the rolling and folding (if the butter breaks through, brush lightly with flour); seal edges; chill 1/2 hour. Roll; fold again; seal edges; chill wrapped in foil for a minimum of 3 hours (can be chilled overnight).
7. Roll half of the dough into a 22” x 8” strip (keep remaining half chilled). Cut the strip into thirds, lengthwise.
8. In a bowl, mix almond paste, crushed zwieback crackers, melted butter, egg, and almond extract. Fill center of each strip with about 1/3 cup; close edges of over filling. Braid.
9. Form into wreath about 6” across in center. Place the wreath on brown paper and then place onto cookie sheet; seal the ends of the wreath. (Repeat with remaining dough for second wreath.) Let rise in warm place 1 hour or until doubled.
10. While the wreaths are rising, preheat over to 375 degrees. Bake for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
11. While the wreaths bake, mix the glaze of confectioners’ (powdered) sugar tablespoons milk. Once the wreaths are finished baking, frost with glaze.