Sourdough Savory Danish Crown
 
 
This Soudough or Wild Savory Danish Crown is a butter-rich braided ring of bread filled with golden onions and cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: Bread Crown
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 300 grams unbleached all-purpose flour + more for sprinkling
  • 65 grams whole grain rye, spelt or other whole grain flour
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp + 1 stick butter, softened
  • 50 grams sourdough starter, recently fed, active (100% hydration) or ¾-ounce fresh yeast *
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • ½ cup lukewarm milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten or 2 ½ tsp / 8 grams ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp / 40 grams water (whisk; allow to gelatinize)
Filling:
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs or ½ cup dried (fresh is better)
  • ¼ cup ground almonds or almond meal
  • ½ cup freshly grated or dried parmesan cheese (fresh is better)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten, divided or ½ Tbsp. chia seeds + 1 ½ - 2 Tbsp water (stir; allow to gelatinize)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Topping:
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (I used sunflower seeds)
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly ground parmesan
  • ½ beaten egg from above or 1 tsp. corn starch + enough water to make a thin glaze
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Rub in the 3 tablespoons of butter.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the sourdough and milk/water mixture using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix using a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined. Switch to a bowl scraper if necessary.
  4. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to autolyse (rest) for 20 – 30 minutes before adding additional flour. After the autolyse, add 30 grams of flour, if necessary. The dough will be a little sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour until the stretch and fold stage.
  5. Let the dough proof for about 4-6 hours at room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough every 45 minutes for the first 2.25 hours. To perform the stretch and fold, remove the dough to a work surface sprinkled with flour, and stretch and fold the dough onto itself from all corners. Do this 3 times.
  6. After letting the dough proof at room temperature for about 4.25 hours, I covered the bowl tightly and placed it in the refrigerator to cold ferment. The dough can be rolled and baked after the bulk ferment on the counter, but I found it benefited from a cold ferment in the refrigerator. It can be cold fermented overnight or up to 2 days.
  7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up slightly on a floured surface.
  8. Roll out into an oblong about ½-inch thick. Dot half (½ stick) of the remaining butter over the top two-thirds of the rolled dough. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down, and then seal the edges. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the process with the remaining ½ stick of butter. Fold and seal the dough as before. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, bees wrap, or a kitchen towel; let it rest for 15 minutes.
  9. Turn the dough another 90 degrees. Then roll and fold it as before without adding any butter. Repeat the turn/fold process once more. Wrap the dough in lightly oiled plastic wrap or bees wrap sprinkled with flour. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  10. In the meantime, prepare the onions. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, almonds, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Add half the beaten egg, if using, or all of the gelatinized chia seeds to the onion/bread crumb mixture and bind together.
  11. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring 22x9 inches. Spread the filling over the dough to within ¾ inch of the edges. Roll up like a Swiss roll from one of the long sides.(It is a little tricky braiding the two pieces if they are too warm so after rolling the dough into a log, I recommend placing the log in the refrigerator for an hour. Then proceed with cutting, braiding and forming the ring.)
  12. Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Braid the logs together with the cut sides up and shape into a ring.
  13. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or bees wrap and let rise for 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
  14. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  15. Brush the remaining beaten egg or the cornstarch wash over the dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (or the seeds of your choice) and Parmesan cheese.
  16. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool. Cut into slices.
Notes
*Using dried yeast instead of sourdough:
You can use dried yeast in this recipe instead of sourdough, just reduce the proofing time to about 1 hour for the bulk ferment in the bowl and 30 minutes for the final ferment. You may also need to reduce the milk/water mixture to a scant cup.

This sourdough bread ring is adapted from the Savory Danish Crown found in "Bread - the breads of the world and how to bake them at home" by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter
Recipe by Bread Experience at https://www.breadexperience.com/sourdough-savory-danish-crown/