Step 1

Bloom yeast in warm water with 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit for 5-10 mins until frothy.

Step 2

Mix together remaining sugar (3 tbsp), eggs, and salt in a separate bowl.

Step 3

Add yeast mixture, then start adding flour slowly until fully incorporated.

Step 4

Once the flour is incorporated, knead just a few times to fully hydrate the dough. You may need to add a little more flour to keep it from being too sticky, but keep in mind it is a wetter dough! Do not knead until smooth - you don't want to overwork this dough.

Step 5

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and leave in the fridge overnight to rise: 8-12 hours is best.

Step 6

Make your kagecreme and jam (if you want to make homemade jam!) and make sure they are chilled. You can do this the day of as well!

Step 7

The next day, prep your butter block for lamination. Start by wrapping your measured out butter in plastic wrap and hit with a rolling pin to slightly soften it. Then roll it out and fold it over itself to make sure there are no gaps in the butter from the different sticks. The butter should be able to fold without breaking - that's when it's ready for lamination.

Step 8

Take your dough out of the fridge and shape into a rough square on a floured surface. Roll out the corners so that they are slightly elongated.

Step 9

Add your butter block and fold over the corners. Seal your butter by pinching together the edges.

Step 10

Now you start the lamination! Turn your dough over so the seam is on the bottom. Make sure you have plenty of flour on your surface. Roll out your dough into a rectangle and fold like a letter (top third over the middle, then bottom third over the top).

Step 11

Once you've folded, return to the fridge for anywhere from 10-30 minutes. You just want to give the dough time to relax before your second lamination.

Step 12

Turn your dough 90 degrees from how you were rolling it out last time, so that the first fold you did is at the bottom and the top of the dough. Roll into a rectangle again and repeat the letter fold. Return to fridge again.

Step 13

Complete your last lamination by doing the same thing as before. Once done, put in fridge for about 30 mins.

Step 14

In the meantime, mix the ingredients for your marzipan filling. Mix together really well, until you have a smooth paste.

Step 15

Now, roll out your dough into a flat rectangle that is about 1/8-1/4" thick - the dough will make about 12 spandauer. Start by using only half of the dough and put the other half back in the fridge (each half will make 6 spandauer). Trim the edges of your rectangle if necessary, then cut into equal size squares. We roll up the dough from the edges into little swirls or croissant shapes and bake them with the pastries.

Step 16

Add a small blob of marzipan filling to each of your squares. Then fold each corner towards the center, using the marzipan to lock it in place. Cover the first batch of pastries and let them start proofing, then repeat the previous step and this step with the other half of the dough.

Step 17

Now leave your shaped pastries to rise for at least 2 hours, perhaps longer. Look at the difference between the first and second picture below! This is a very important step, because under-proofing these means major butter leakage (we are speaking from experience!). You'll know the pastries are ready when they feel super light and airy (almost wobbly when you touch them) and have doubled in size. Another test is to poke the dough, and if it leaves an impression and doesn't spring back immediately, it should be ready.

Step 18

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Step 19

Once your pastries have risen, press down the center to make room for filling. Egg wash your pastries. Add about a tablespoon of kagecreme or raspberry jam to the center.

Step 20

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown!