Join us for a tour of the sweet bread of Mexico, Latin and South America as we take a new pastry each week to discuss and share history, our favorites, and other fun facts! Call store for availability.
We start the history of the Danesa or “Danish” by continuing the puff pastry story from Week 5. After Claudius Gele perfected the puff pastry in France and Italy in the later 1600s, the Italians brought the invention to Austria where it also became popular.
Fast forward to the 1800’s where bakers in Copenhagen, Denmark went on a long strike after receiving only payment of room and board at the bakeries where they worked. Desperate for help, the bakery owners found other bakers, mainly from Vienna, Austria. These bakers had a talent for making this layered yeast and butter dough.
Over time the Danish bakers learned their techniques and created their own version of a layered pastry with the rich Danish butter, and in different variations and shapes. (The flavor we have here with raisins is often eaten around the holidays in Denmark.)
This story is the reason behind the name “wienerbrød” (Vienna Bread) – which is what these pasties are called in Denmark!
