How to make pain au chocolat at home (chocolatine)

dark chocolate

🥗Healthier: dark chocolate with lower sugar

💰Cheaper: semi-sweet chocolate

Semi-sweet chocolate is often more affordable and still provides a rich flavor.

butter

🥗Healthier: margarine

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Vegetable oil can be a cost-effective substitute for butter in dough.

Place flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for a second.

Add butter, water, and milk to the dry ingredients.

Use a dough scraper or spatula to bring the dough together slightly.

Using a dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium for three and a half minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rest and proof for an hour and a half or until doubled in size.

Turn the rested dough onto the table and press it down to release air.

Using plastic wrap, form the dough into a rectangle and place it in the fridge to rest overnight.

Make a butter block by placing two sticks of butter in the center of a sheet of parchment paper.

Fold the parchment paper over the butter to create a rectangle, approximately 8 by 6 inches.

Beat the butter with a rolling pin to evenly spread it to all corners of the rectangle.

Place the butter block in the fridge and take out the dough.

Press the dough to release air and ensure enough flour is underneath.

Roll the dough out to 12 inches lengthwise and 8 inches widthwise, matching the butter block dimensions.

Place the butter block over the dough, aligning the edges, and fold the dough over the butter.

Press the dough to lock in the butter and roll it out to between 25 to 27 inches.

Trim off any uneven ends of the dough for perfect lamination (optional).

Fold the dough into four layers (double fold) by folding about four inches from the right and then folding the left side to meet the right side.

Cover the dough and place it in the fridge to rest for half an hour.

Roll the dough out to about 22 inches and perform a single fold by folding the third end from the right and then the remaining third from the left.

Press down the folded dough and let it rest in the freezer overnight or in the fridge for an hour if short on time.

Flour the surface and ensure the crease side is on the right, then roll out to 11 inches and rotate to roll out to 16 inches.

Trim off the edges slightly and mark the dough at intervals of three and a quarter inches, then cut along these intervals to create strips.

Cut any extra dough in the middle to create six equal strips and stack them on each other, covering with wrap and placing in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Get a chocolate bar and use a chef's knife dipped in hot water for 30 seconds to cut the chocolate into sticks.

Remove excess flour from the dough strips on the surface, place one chocolate stick at one end, and roll the dough over it until covered.

Place another stick on the dough and roll the rest of the dough over it, repeating this for all strips.

Place all croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and let proof in a turned-off oven with the light on for half an hour.

After half an hour, turn off the light and let proof for another 30 minutes to an hour until layers begin to split.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make an egg wash with one egg, a pinch of salt, a dash of milk, and a dash of heavy cream, and apply it to all croissants.

Bake the croissants at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until evenly browned.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens