Pain au Chocolat
by
Fort Negen
Crispy, flaky, buttery, chewy, and with loads of soft chocolate inside. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, I can have this croissant all day. Pick your chocolate well. Go for high quality, with lots of cacao butter, as it'll make a world of difference.
Try replacing some of the chocolate with a rich duxelles for a savory option. You can also add berries combined or pastry cream along with the chocolate. The ultimate sweet treat!
The temperature and time to bake the croissants vary according to each oven. Make sure to bake for at least 15 to 20 minutes, turning the oven down a bit if you find that the browning is going too fast, to ensure the croissant bakes completely.
- Level
Expert
- Cooking
18h+
- Overral
20h+
- Ready
Chocolate
200gBeaten Egg
1Whole Milk
1tbsp
Croissant Dough
All-Purpose Flour
500gUnsalted Butter
320gFresh Yeast
11gWarm Whole Milk
140mlWhite Sugar
60gAll-Purpose Flour
To dustSalt
12gWarm Water
140ml
Equipment
Stand Mixer
Dough Hook Attachment
Kitchen Scale
Rolling Pin
Chocolate
200gBeaten Egg
1Whole Milk
1tbsp
Croissant Dough
All-Purpose Flour
500gUnsalted Butter
320gFresh Yeast
11gWarm Whole Milk
140mlWhite Sugar
60gAll-Purpose Flour
To dustSalt
12gWarm Water
140ml
Equipment
Stand Mixer
Dough Hook Attachment
Kitchen Scale
Rolling Pin
Pain au Chocolat
Fort Negen
Add 140ml of warm whole milk, 140ml of warm water and 500g of all-purpose flour to a stand mixer bowl
Add 60g of white sugar and 12g of salt
Add 40g of softened, unsalted butter and 11g of fresh yeast
Mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 4m until the dough comes together and forms a ball
Mix the dough on medium-high speed for 6m until the dough becomes smooth and elastic
Place the dough on a clean work surface and shape it into an approximate square
Place the dough on a baking tray with parchment paper and cover it with cling film. Place it in the refrigerator for 12h to rise
Place 280g of softened, unsalted butter on a sheet of parchment paper. Form a rectangle that is about 1cm thick. Reserve in the refrigerator
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust it with all-purpose flour and place it on a floured surface. Remove the paper and dust the other side of the dough
Roll the dough into a 26cm x 26cm square
Dust the butter with all-purpose flour and roll it until the rectangle is 25cm long
Place the butter in the center of the dough. Fold the dough to meet in the middle, without overlapping
Roll the dough, lightly pressing it with only forward and back movements to make a narrow rectangle
Fold one end of the dough in about 5cm. Fold the ether end, slightly overlapping the first fold. Fold the dough in half and rotate it. Roll it with light pressure to press the folds together
Place the dough on a baking tray with parchment paper. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to relax it
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature. Lightly dust it with all-purpose flour and roll it back and forth. Apply light, even pressure until it is 1cm thick
Fold the dough in thirds and roll it with light pressure to press the folds together
Place the dough on a baking tray with parchment paper. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to relax it
Roll the dough, using light pressure, into a 1cm thick 20cm x 110cm rectangle. The croissant dough is ready
Trim the edges of the dough to make a perfect rectangle
Place 7g of chocolate in a row at one of the corners of the dough. Use these as a guide to cut 14 equal strips, each about 20cm long
Place 7g of chocolate in a row in the middle of the strip. Repeat the topping process with the remaining strips
Roll over each piece of dough, with the end piece facing down
Add 1 beaten egg and 1tbsp of whole milk to a bowl and whisk to combine
Place the croissants on a tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a space between each roll. Brush them with a thin layer of the egg mixture
Proof the croissants in a draft-free place between 25°C and 27°C for 2h to rise. Carefully shake the tray. If the croissants wiggle a little, they are ready to be baked
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Brush the croissants with a second coat of the egg mixture and bake them for at least 15m until they start to turn golden
Raise the temperature to 220°C and finish baking the croissants for 5m until deep golden brown
Let the croissant cool at room temperature for 5-10m to crisp. The chocolate croissant is ready
Delight yourself with this buttery, chocolatey treat!