Sourdough Discard Raspberry Cream Cheese Danishes (Printable)

Buttery sourdough pastries with creamy cheese and juicy raspberry filling

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/2 cup sourdough discard (unfed)
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)

→ Cream Cheese Filling

07 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
08 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Raspberry Filling

11 - 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
12 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
13 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
14 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Glaze

15 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
16 - 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
17 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Cut the cold butter into the flour in a large bowl until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the sourdough discard, sugar, and salt until a soft dough forms. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
02 - Beat the cream cheese until smooth in a medium bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice; mix until creamy and fully combined. Set aside.
03 - Combine raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Let cool completely.
04 - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 8 rectangles or circles and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Create an indentation in the center of each piece using your fingers or the back of a spoon. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling into each center, then top with raspberry filling.
05 - Let the assembled pastries rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to puff slightly. Brush edges lightly with beaten egg for shine. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
06 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled pastries before serving.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The tang from sourdough discard balances the sweet cream cheese filling in a way store bought pastries never achieve
  • These come together faster than you would expect for something that looks bakery impressive
  • They are an excellent way to use up discard without feeling wasteful
02 -
  • Working quickly when cutting the butter into flour prevents it from melting too early, which ruins the flaky texture
  • The chilling step is not optional, warm dough will spread too much and become tough instead of tender
03 -
  • Use a ruler when rolling out the dough to ensure even thickness, which helps everything bake uniformly
  • If your kitchen is particularly warm, chill the baking sheet with assembled pastries for 10 minutes before baking

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