Last Updated on November 10, 2022 by Share My Kitchen
This student bread pastry recipe is perfect for those times when you have some cake, muffins, pastry, or anything sweet leftover. You will love the sweet, chocolatey pastry! It’s something you will definitely always crave.
It’s time to return to the classics!
Today’s recipe is all about a traditional Danish pastry. You might already be familiar with some traditional pastries like: spandauer, kanelsnegle, and tebirkes. But for now, you will be learning the recipe for studenterbrød.
What is student bread pastry?
This pastry can be found in every Danish bakery. It’s a unique Danish sweet treat. It is known as studenterbrød, or “student bread,” because it is so cheap, so students always choose to buy them. Why is it so affordable? It is cheap because it uses leftover pastries and cakes. This allows bakeries to make more money and reduce their waste without making the customers pay more.
Homemade Student Bread Pastry
Although it does not make much sense to make at home, since you need a separate leftover dessert, it is too delicious not to make! It’s a great recipe to use if you ever have leftovers of any sweets, pastries, cake, or muffins. This is also a great recipe if you made some mistake on a homemade cake. You will have a chance to redeem it and still have some dessert to serve. Or you can just make another cake to make this dessert because it’s really good!
How to make Studenterbrød
The recipe is simple and straightforward. First, you need to make the dough for the pastry base, which is a short crust pastry. The dough should be chilled for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you can roll it out onto a baking sheet. Then, bake for approximately 15-20 minutes and let it cool completely. You can start making and mixing the filling ingredients while the base cools. Next, spread a thin layer of jam on the cooled pastry, and press the filling onto the top. Try to make it as even as possible. Put it back in the refrigerator until it is firm. Then, decorate it with icing and sprinkles. The edges of the pastry should be trimmed, so that the filling and the pastry line up and form a rectangle. Have fun!
Student Bread Pastry Recipe Card
| Servings | 15 |
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Total Time | 1 hour, 5 minutes |
Important Note: This recipe uses both a digital scale (grams) and the metric system (1 ml). However, it is not guaranteed that the measurements of the cups will be accurate. This recipe also uses a convection (fan) oven.
Ingredients
Pastry Base
- 150 grams (1 1/8 cup) all purpose flour
- 25 grams (1/4 cup) powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 100 grams (7 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Layer
- 600 grams pound cake, leftover cake, muffins, or cookies
- 150 grams (about 1 1/2 bars) dark chocolate, melted
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tbsp jam
- 3-4 tbsp rum
Icing
- 240 grams (2 cups) powdered sugar
- Splash of water
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt together in a food processor and pulse to combine. This can also be done by hand in a large bowl. Then, add the cold butter into the food processor and pulse until it looks similar to sand. If you are doing this by hand, simply break up the cold butter with your fingers and crumble until it resembles sand. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract and pulse the mixture (or combine with your hands) until the dough begins to stick together. It’s fine if the dough is still a little crumbly.y
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, use parchment paper to line a large sheet pan or baking pan.
- After refrigerating, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Trim the edges, if necessary (you can bake the scraps separately if you roll them out again). Then, transfer the dough rectangle onto the baking sheet.
- To prevent bubbles from forming, poke the top of the dough with a fork.
- Bake the dough for 20 minutes, or until it is lightly brown around the edges. If your oven runs hot, don’t forget to check it after 15 minutes!
- As the pastry cools, prepare the cake mixture. Crumble the cake into a bowl, then add melted chocolate, cocoa powder, 4 tbsp of jam (save one to spread on the pastry), and rum.
- Press together until the mixture forms a thick paste consistency.
- Use the last tablespoon of jam to spread a thin layer over the pastry.
- Press the cake mixture over the jam, creating an even layer. It is okay if it doesn’t reach the edge. You will clean up the edges later.
- The assembled pastry should be chilled for at least 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator. After chilling, mix together the icing, combining sugar with a little water. Spread the icing over the top of your pastry. Add some sprinkles if you prefer.
- Allow the icing time to set for approximately 15 minutes, in the refrigerator or on the counter. Then, trim off the edges and cut into ~15 squares. Enjoy eating!
