Pain au Chocolat with Dark Chocolate
Flaky, golden laminated pastries wrapped around two bars of dark chocolate, made with the same buttery dough as a classic croissant.
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Method
- 1
Make the dough. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl. Pour in the milk, water and softened butter and knead for 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and fairly firm. Press it into a rectangle 2cm thick, wrap and chill overnight for 8-12 hours so it firms up to match the butter block.
- 2
Prepare the butter block. Between sheets of baking paper, beat the cold butter with the rolling pin into a 17 x 17cm square, then chill for 30 minutes until firm but bendable. Matching the butter's firmness to the dough keeps the layers distinct instead of blending together.
- 3
Lock in the butter. Roll the dough out to 34 x 17cm, set the butter block over one half, fold the dough over and seal the edges well. Sealing fully now stops butter escaping during the rolling that follows.
- 4
Laminate with three folds. Roll the dough to 60 x 20cm and fold it into thirds like a letter, then wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes. Repeat the roll-and-fold twice more for three single folds altogether, chilling between each, and leave it longer in the fridge if the butter ever shows through or smears. A final 1-hour chill once the last fold is done sets everything firm enough to shape.
- 5
Shape the pastries. Roll the dough into a 48 x 30cm rectangle about 4mm thick, trim the edges and cut into 12 rectangles measuring 12 x 10cm. Lay a chocolate baton across the short end of each one, fold the dough over, add a second baton, then roll up and set each pastry seam-down on the lined trays.
- 6
Prove until puffy. At 24-26°C, loosely covered, the shaped pastries need 2-3 hours to prove. They're ready once doubled in size and wobbly when the tray is nudged gently.
- 7
Bake to deep gold. At 200°C (180°C fan), brush with egg wash and bake for 18-22 minutes until deep golden brown all over. The centre should read about 90°C, confirming the layers have crisped through and the chocolate inside has fully melted.
- 8
Cool briefly. A 15-minute rest on the wire rack is worth the wait before eating, since the chocolate stays very hot straight from the oven. That short pause makes all the difference to the first bite.
Storage
Best eaten the day they're made. Keep leftovers airtight for up to 1 day and refresh in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes, or freeze the baked pastries for up to 1 month and reheat from frozen until piping hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- stand mixer with dough hook (or large bowl)
- rolling pin
- ruler
- baking paper
- cling film
- sharp knife or pizza wheel
- 2 baking trays lined with baking paper
- pastry brush
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 441 kcal |
| Protein | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 42.2 g |
| of which sugars | 7.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.2 g |
| Fat | 27.5 g |
| of which saturates | 16.8 g |
| Fibre | 2.5 g |
| Salt | 1.01 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
