Pain au Chocolat
"How to make homemade Pain au Chocolat"
Serves 16 | Prep Time 6 hours | Cook Time 15 minWhy I Love This Recipe
I love this recipe because it reminds me of Paris, though it is hard to make and takes very long the outcome is rewarding.
Ingredients You'll Need
4 cups flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 milk (add more as needed)
2 teaspoons salt
1 packet instant dry yeast
3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (for dough)
1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter
1 egg (for egg wash)
2 bars sweetened chocolate
Directions
In a large bowl, mix flour, water, milk, sugar, salt, yeast, and butter
Once the dough starts to form a ball, turn it out onto a clean counter. Lightly knead the dough, making sure not to over-knead it.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour
Slice the cold butter in thirds and place it between two sheets of parchment paper then beat it with a rolling pin
Keeping the parchment paper on the butter, use a rolling pin to roll the butter into a 7-inch (18 cm) square, ½-inch (1 cm) thick. If necessary, use a knife to trim the edges and place the trimmings back on top of the butter and continue to roll into a square, then refrigerate until cold
Place the dough on a lightly floured surfaced, and push the rolling pin once vertically into the dough and once horizontally to form four quadrants
Roll out each corner, forming a 10-inch (25 cm) square
Place the butter layer on top of the dough and fold the sides of the dough over the butter, enclosing it completely
Roll the dough with a rolling pin to seal all seams, making sure to lengthen the dough longways
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour
On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 8x24 inches (20x61 cm)
Fold the top half down to the middle (brushing off any excess flour), then fold the bottom half over the top and refrigerate for 1 hour. Turn number 1 is now completed.
Roll out the dough again two more times, completing three turns in total and refrigerating for 1 hour in between each turn. If at anytime the dough or butter begins to soften, stop and transfer back to the fridge
After the final turn, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for four hours or overnight
Next take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut in half. Place one half back in the refrigerator
Flour the surface and roll out the dough into a long narrow strip, about 8x40 inches (20x101 cm)... more or less is fine
Cut the dough into in half again so that it is now 8x20 inches. Then cut 4 rectangular strips from those halves
Place the chocolate on the edge of the dough and roll tightly enclosing it in the dough
Place the croissants on a baking sheet, seam side down and brush with a beaten egg. Repeat with other half of dough
Place the croissants in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
Once the croissants have proofed, brush them with one more layer of egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.
