Perfect for breakfast and dessert. My dairy free pain aux raisins are worth the wait. From the laminated pastry to the silky smooth creme patissiere and then drizzled lovingly with orange icing. This recipe does not disappoint! Inspired by Season 13 of the Great British Baking Show.
60mlOrange Juice(Approx juice from 1 orange or use No Bits Orange Juice - 4 tbsp)
Instructions
Prep:
Gather all of your supplies and ingredients. Ensure that the eggs, milk, and 25 grams of butter are at room temperature before starting the recipe. IMPORTANT: The remaining butter should remain in the fridge until you are ready to start the lamination process.
For the Pastry Dough:
Rub together 25 grams of butter and 375 grams Strong Bread Flour to form a breadcrumb consistency. Add the 30 grams Golden Sugar, 7 grams Dried Yeast, and 1 tsp Salt and stir together. In a separate bowl or jug, stir together 50 ml Warm Water, 125 ml Plant Based Milk, and 1 Egg then add that to the flour mixture.
Combine together either by hand or using your stand mixer. I recommend using the dough hook. Turn out onto a floured surface and give it a quick knead, adding more flour if it feels particularly sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (cling film) and pop it in the fridge for 1 hour. This will allow the gluten to develop.
For the Creme Patissiere:
Add 50 grams White Sugar, 2 Egg Yolks, 20 grams Cornflour (corn starch) and 1 tablespoon of milk into a bowl then mix together with a hand mixer or wooden spoon.
Add the remaining plant-based milk and 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste to a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until it starts to boil. Pour into the egg mixture while continuously stirring. Top tip - don't stop stirring as it will cause the eggs to scramble! Once combined, pour all of the mixture back into the saucepan and then keep stirring it again until it forms a really nice thick custard.
Take the saucepan off of the heat and pour the creme into another bowl. Add a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the creme and allow it to cool down at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then pop the bowl into the fridge until it has completely cooled and set.
Lamination Process:
Take the remaining 225 grams block of butter from the fridge which should still be hard at this stage and beat it and roll it between parchment paper until you get a nice flat surface measuring 33 by 19 centimeters. Once rolled out, pop the butter slab back in the fridge as it needs to firm up again.
Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and knead lightly on a floured surface. Roll out to roughly 50 by 20cm then lay the slab of butter on top so that it covers two thirds of the pastry dough (see recipe post for photos of this stage if you are unsure).
Take one third of the dough and fold it over as shown below so that it covers half of the butter. Fold the last third over so that the edge lines up. The butter will soften as you are folding so don't worry if it seems hard to fold it. Wrap the dough back up in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Repeat the rolling and folding process and chill in the fridge for another 20 minutes. Reroll and fold one last time then reroll the dough to a 30cm square.
Constructing the Pain Aux Raisins:
Start by spreading the creme patissiere on to the dough. I recommend using a cranked spatula to ensure that you spread it evenly. Top with 100 grams Raisins, 1 Orange Zest, and 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon.
Time to roll the dough. Roll from the furthest edge into a tight spiral (also like a swiss roll) and tuck in the edges. Don't worry if some of the filling oozes out the sides. Just wipe that off so that it doesn't burn when the pastries are baking.
Cut the dough into 12 equal sized pieces then add to parchment paper lined baking sheets. Make sure you evenly space them because they will spread a little bit as they bake now. When you place each pastry on the parchment paper, tuck the little cut piece of dough underneath. Clean up any additional filling that has seeped out (don't worry - it happens!). Cover the baking trays loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to prove for an hour in a warm area.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit then give the pastries a quick egg wash with 1 Egg (beaten).
Bake for approx 20 minutes until golden. Cover with foil for the last few minutes if they are browning too quickly. Allow to cool completely (and try not the eat them right away!).
Finishing Touches:
In a small bowl or jug, combine 200 grams Icing Sugar and 60 ml Orange Juice.
Transfer the icing to a tipless piping bag, snip off the end, and pipe over the pain aux raisins. And finally eat!
Video
Notes
Yield: This recipe makes 12 dairy free pain aux raisins.
Gluten-Free: For an easy gluten free option, see my substitution guide in the main recipe post.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave if desired (they are so good warmed up the day after baking!).
Nutrition: information is based on 1 pain aux raisin per serving with 12 servings per recipe. Please note that nutrition information is calculated based on the ingredients in this recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.