How to Make Flaky Pain au Chocolat with Easy Handmade Pastry

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.

Start by preparing the ingredients: white bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, butter, and sweet milk chocolate.

Freeze a little bit of butter to grate onto the dough later.

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, salt, sugar, and melted butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar completely.

Add the white bread flour to the mixture and mix to form a dough, starting with a dough scraper and finishing by hand.

Place the dough in a clean bowl and ensure it reaches a temperature of around 25°C (77°F).

Cover the dough and let it ferment for 30 minutes, performing one fold halfway through.

After the fold, cover the dough again and let it ferment for another 30 minutes.

Dust the table and the dough generously with flour, then flatten the dough by hand before rolling it out into a rectangle.

Grate the frozen butter evenly over the dough and press it into the dough with floured hands.

Fold the dough into three layers: fold one third over the middle, then fold the other third over the top.

Dust the dough with flour again and roll it out into a large rectangle.

Repeat the folding process into three layers again, then wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the second set of folds, roll the dough out again, grate the second piece of butter over it, and fold it into three layers once more.

Wrap the dough again and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine).

Roll out the dough to slightly larger than 30x21 cm (12x9 inches) and trim the edges.

Divide the dough into nine equal pieces measuring 10 cm by 7 cm (4 in x 3 in).

Place a strip of chocolate along one end of each piece and roll the dough forward until the chocolate is covered.

Place a second piece of chocolate in front of the roll and roll it forward again, leaving the seam at the bottom.

Cover the shaped pastries and let them proof for 2.5 to 3 hours (or 1.5 to 2 hours if making the same day).

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) with the fan on, or 190°C (375°F) with the fan off.

Brush the pastries generously with egg before baking.

Bake the pastries for around 25 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens