History

Tebirkes evolved out of 19th-century Danish viennoiserie traditions and was codified by Copenhagen bakery chains through the 20th century. The modern resurgence runs through Hart Bageri (Richard Hart, formerly Tartine) and Juno the Bakery (Emil Glaser, formerly noma), with Andersen & Maillard putting a roastery flat white alongside.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Makes 8 tebirkesHands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 7g instant dried yeast
  • 240ml cold whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 300g cold unsalted European butter, for laminating
  • For the remonce: 100g unsalted butter softened, 100g marzipan, 50g caster sugar
  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
  • 30g poppy seeds for topping

Method

  1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add milk and eggs, knead 8 minutes until smooth. Wrap and chill 1 hour.
  2. Roll the cold butter into a 20cm square between two sheets of baking paper. Chill 20 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough into a 40cm square. Place the butter on one half, fold over and seal. Roll out to a long rectangle.
  4. Fold in three (single turn), wrap and chill 30 minutes. Repeat two more single turns with 30-minute rests between.
  5. Mix remonce ingredients to a paste. Roll dough out to 40cm by 30cm, spread remonce thinly, fold in three lengthways.
  6. Cut into eight squares, place on a tray, prove 1 hour. Brush with egg wash, scatter poppy seeds, bake at 200C for 16 to 18 minutes until deep gold.
  7. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before eating warm.

Tip from the editors. Keep the butter cold and the dough cold between each lamination; if the butter melts into the dough the layers won't separate.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat tebirkes

Tebirkes in Copenhagen

Hart Bageri ★ 4.8

Daily 07:30-18:00Walk-in onlySourdough loaves and laminated Danish pastries

Hart Bageri on Gammel Kongevej in Frederiksberg was opened by former Tartine head baker Richard Hart and now runs ten locations across greater Copenhagen with naturally leavened breads and viennoiserie.

Tip: Arrive by 09:00 weekends for the cardamom buns and tebirkes; sourdough loaves restock through the morning.

Worth the queue: Tebirkes (poppyseed danish)

Gammel Kongevej 109, 1850 Frederiksberg C

Juno the Bakery ★ 4.9

Wed-Sat 07:30-18:00, Sun 09:00-15:00, closed Mon-TueWalk-in onlySourdough, Scandinavian pastry, cardamom buns

Juno the Bakery on Århusgade in Østerbro from former noma cook Emil Glaser bakes the cardamom bun that anchors the modern Copenhagen pastry conversation, plus sourdough and laminated pastries.

Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday only. Arrive by 09:30 for the cardamom bun or expect the 60-deep weekend queue.

Worth the queue: Cardamom bun

Århusgade 48, 2100 København Ø

Andersen & Maillard ★ 4.7

Andersen & Maillard on Nørrebrogade in Nørrebro is the city's pioneering bakery-roastery hybrid, opened in 2018 by former noma pastry chef Milton Abel and Hans Kristian Andersen.

Signature drink: Flat white

Tip: Order the cardamom kouign-amann with the house filter coffee. The bench by the window is the prime perch.

Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København N

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