Danish

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/4 cup warm water (like a baby's bath)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste


Cut a half a tablespoon of butter off the ends of each stick of butter, and set aside.
Cut each stick of butter in half, then cut each half stick lengthwise. Line 4 butter rectangles up side by side on a sheet of lightly floured parchment. Dust with flour, and fold the parchment up and over the butter. Use a rolling pin to lightly pound/roll the butter to a thickness of about 1/4-inch. Repeat with the remaining 4 butter rectangles. Refrigerate the parchment-wrapped butter squares.
Place the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cut in the reserved tablespoon of cold butter, rubbing between your fingertips to fully incorporate. In a large liquid measure, stir the milk, water, egg, and vanilla together. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir together. Knead the dough for approximately 7 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll/pat into a rough rectangle shape. (Ideally, the short side of the rectangle should be about the same length as the long side of the butter square in step 2. The long side should be about 3x the length of the short side of the butter square.)
Place one of the butter squares in the center of the dough rectangle. Fold one side of the dough over the butter, and top with the remaining butter square. Fold the other side of the dough over the second butter square. Pinch the sides of the dough together to encase the butter within the dough.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/2-inch, then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Repeat, two more times. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 1 hour). LINK