Danish pastry - the real deal

Enjoying a Danish pastry is a divine way to sin. If you must - this is no doubt one of the sweetest ways to corrupt your morals. Together with Danish kringle it's two sides of the same good thing. And I'm now talking about the original stuff.

Enter any decent Copenhagen bakery.. and you'll be surprised how big the differences can be to Danish pastry served outside Denmark. Of course you have differences here too. Some bakeries accept their task with more dedication than others do. But the general level is very high. I invite you to find out for yourself.

"Wienerbrød"
The origin of Danish pastry lies in the name "Wiener-brød" as we call it. "Brød" means bread - so it's actually "bread from Wien" = Vienna. In the last half of the 1800s, unemployed young bakers from Vienna were offered jobs in the Copenhagen area, because there was a need for bakers at the time.

They brought with them a special recipe for a special sweet bread, where the dough is folded a numbers of times with extra butter, using a very unique and time consuming technique.

After the Viennese bakers left again - the new "sweet bread" had become so popular among Danes that the Copenhagen bakers continued to develop the new dough process, eventually turning it into the delicious Danish pastry known today all over the world.

An amusing fact is that - even in Vienna to this day - the name for Danish pastry is "Kopenhagen-Geback".. meaning "Copenhagen Bread". If they only knew that the origin of this delicatesse actually is their very own town.. or did they have it from the Turkish "Baklava" .. ?

Kringle
Danish bakeries are known in the whole world for their kringle - what we call "kanelstang" and various pastries. Did you ever try the real thing from an original Copenhagen bakery?..

There are only a few things in the world better that can match the taste of a warm fresh kringle, bread or pastry directly from the oven .. especially from the best bakeries..

Wanna find the best Danish pastry in Copenhagen?
So where do I find the best pastry in town..? Allow me to introduce to you 3 of the best bakeries I know in town. Here it comes..

Here's my personal "Top 3 Copenhagen Danish bakery list":

#1) Gregersen Bageri & Konditori
This is a very cute authentic bakery that is still run by the same married couple for many years. He bakes the bread in the back of the shop - and she sells it in the store .. including their heavenly kringle and pastries. Most customers are regulars. A local store in the real old fashioned way. Additionally they are among the most fair priced. Do try them out.

.. the old bakery on Værnedamsvej

This painting on their wall shows how it was done "back then"..


Gregersen Bageri & Konditori
Værnedamsvej 17, st
1819 Frederiksberg C
+45 3324 1591

#2) Reinh. van Hauen bakery
Perhaps the finest bakery in Copenhagen is Reinh. van Hauen. They are a 4th generation van Hauen bakery and have existed 128 years here. In the meantime they have 4 other bakeries spread out over the city.












                                              .. van Hauen's "Kanel snegl"

The easiest to reach is situated on the part of "Strøget" named Østergade almost at the end towards Kongens Nytorv "Kings New Square". Van Hauen has one pastry that you absolutely must try.. called "Kanel-snegl" which is their special cinnamon roll .. speaking of heaven..

.. but don‘t be on a diet when you visit.

Reinh. van Hauen
Østergade 22
1100 København K
+45 33 13 17 03

First original Van Hauen branch is situated here:

Reinh. van Hauen
Gammel Kongevej 177
1850 Frederiksberg C
+45 33 21 25 03

They have even a few more branches in the meantime. Check out their website. It's all in Danish, but it's mostly location and opening hours.

#3) Sankt Peders Bageri
A small quality bakery in the centre of town with an extraordinary atmosphere. You will find all the standard breads and pastries here.. and the lighting comes from the old chandelier. Good stuff served by nice people.

Sankt Peders Bageri
Sankt Peders Stræde 29
1453 København K
+45 3311 1129

Recipes
If you should feel like baking your own Danish pastry - you need a good recipe and knowing how to do it.

How to do itIn the video below two bakers explain and show how to make the original Danish pastry.. and yes - they speak Danish, but the pictures speak for themselves. Note that you will see some text on the screen.

Pastry in Danish is called "Wienerbrød", "kagecreme" and "remoncé" are various kinds of baking fillings made of butter, sugar and marcipan. "Bagermester" means the "baker maestro"

Se this Copenhagen baker make real Danish pastry.


Have fun.

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