Almond Bear Claw Pastry Recipe

Pastry Dough

1. Combine warm water, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Add remaining sugar, milk, eggs, and salt. Mix well until combined.
3. Cut the cold butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or food processor until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas.
4. Add the cold butter and flour mixture. Stir together by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula until moistened and a shaggy mixture forms. The dough will be sticky.
5. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Knead a few times using the parchment paper or plastic wrap to fold the dough onto itself until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two evenly sized pieces. The dough will be sticky, but not too sticky to work with. If the dough is particularly stick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before proceeding so the butter can firm up.
6. Transfer one portion of dough to a generously floured surface. Press it into a square, then roll it out into a large rectangle roughly 24"x12", adding more flour as needed and using the bench scraper to slide under the dough and keep it from sticking to the work surface.
7. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter roughly 12"x8". Roll it out again into a roughly 24"x12" rectangle, then repeat the process of folding it into thirds. Roll it out for a third time and fold it one more time for a total of 3 times. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
8. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 but up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight before proceeding.

Filling

1. While the dough chills, tear off pieces of almond paste and add it to a large mixer along with butter and powdered sugar for the filling. Beat well until smooth. It's okay if some of the almond paste doesn't completely incorporate as long as there aren't any particularly big chunks of it remaining.
2. Add egg whites and almond extract. Beat again for 1-2 minutes until combined. Stir in almond flour and salt. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours if preparing in advance.

Shaping

1. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Working with 1/2 the chilled pastry dough at a time, roll it into a 12" square. Use a pizza cutter, bench scraper, or sharp knife to cut the dough into three 12"x4" strips.
3. Transfer the almond paste filling tip a large piping bag and pipe a ribbon of filling down the center of each strip. Fold the long edges over the filling, first from one side, then the other, overlapping them like a letter. Press the edges and ends together to pinch and seal.
4. Cut each strip into 3 equal-sized pieces. Press the cut ends shut to contain the filling as much as possible. Turn the seam side away from you, then slice 1/2" slits into each pastry, spaced about 1/2" apart each. Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet, bending it slightly to separate the "fingers" and create the iconic bear claw shape. You can fit 8 claws per baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour until slightly puffy. Or they could be refrigerated overnight or frozen immediately for up to 1 month. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight then let come to room temperature for a couple hours before baking.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F while the pastries are rising.
6. Once the pastries have risen, brush each bear claw with an egg wash made by whisking together 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water or milk. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
7. Bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown.
8. While the bear claws cool, whisk powdered sugar and milk together in a bowl to create a simple glaze. Drizzle over the cooled bear claws, then let set up before serving. Alternatively, dust the bear claws generously with powdered sugar before serving.