Bo Friberg

Mayor’s Wreath

Preparation info

  • Yield:

    1

    wreath, 10 inches in diameter

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in

top 1000The Professional Pastry Chef

The Professional Pastry Chef

By Bo Friberg

Published 1989

  • About

The name suggests that this wreath is something special, and I think you will agree after your first bite. But there is a price to pay: The filling is made with a high percentage of almond paste, and the braiding is quite labor intensive. However, its elegant appearance and great taste have always made this pastry very popular, especially with anyone who doesn’t care for cinnamon, as this is one of the few Danish pastries without it.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Roll out the dough to a strip 8 inches (20 cm) wide, 18 inches (45 cm) long, and ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut the strip lengthwise into 3 equal pieces.
  2. Check the Danish filling to be sure it is not too soft, as the strips will be braided later; adjust if needed. Place the filling in a pastry bag with a No. 3 (6-mm) plain tip. Pipe a ribbon of filling along the length of each strip approximately ½ inch (1.2 cm) from the top.
  3. Brush egg wash along the bottom of the strips, then roll each one into a spiral, rolling from the top to the bottom.
  4. Roll out each coiled strip to 20 inches (50 cm) in length by rolling it between your palms and the table.
  5. Place the 3 strings, seam-side down, next to each other on the table. Braid them into a Three-String Braid, starting from the middle and working to each end to avoid stretching the dough any more than necessary.
  6. Carefully place the braided loaf on a sheet pan lined with baking paper or a Silpat. If necessary, stretch the braid slightly to make it 24 inches (60 cm) long.
  7. Shape into a ring that is 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. Fold the ends together so that the seam shows as little as possible.
  8. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sliced almonds. Let rise until slightly less than doubled in volume.
  9. Bake at 375°F(190°C) about 30 minutes. Brush with simple syrup immediately after removing the wreath from the oven. Let cool completely, then lightly spread simple icing over the top.