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Chef John's Pain au Chocolat

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PREP TIME
30 min
COOKING TIME
25 min
TOTAL TIME
355 min
SERVINGS
6 servings
Breakfast French
Chef John's Pain au Chocolat
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup warm water (100 degrees F or 38 degrees C)
  • 1/2 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached bread flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 1 stick unsalted European-style butter
  • 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 pinch coarse sea salt to taste
Instructions
1
Begin by placing warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkling yeast over it. Allow the yeast to dissolve for 10 minutes, then add sugar and bread flour, sprinkling with salt. Next, attach the bowl to the stand mixer and mix the dough using the dough hook attachment until the butter is fully incorporated into the dough, forming a ball that pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This process should take around 3-4 minutes.
2
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a semi-smooth ball. Place the dough back in the mixer bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, approximately 2 hours.
3
Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to deflate it. Form the dough into a rectangle, then fold it in thirds by lifting one end over the middle third and folding the other side onto the middle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, and refrigerate until chilled through, about 1 hour.
4
Cut one stick of butter in half lengthwise and place the halves slightly apart on a piece of parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over the butter, pressing it down firmly to create a compact layer. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin to a square shape about 8x8 inches in size. Refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes to make it slightly chilled and flexible.
5
Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is slightly wider than the butter slab and about twice as long. Place the butter on one half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edges. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter, then dust your work surface and the dough with flour as needed.
6
Use a rolling pin to create ridges on the dough, followed by repeating this process until the dough reaches the same size as it was before folding. Continue pressing and rolling, dusting with flour as necessary.
7
Fold one-third of the dough over the middle third, then fold the other end over to form a small rectangle. Flatten out the dough slightly with a rolling pin and transfer it to the silicone-lined baking sheet, covering it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8
Repeat the pressing and rolling process until the dough reaches a larger rectangle size. Fold the dough in thirds again, starting from the short side, and press and roll it slightly. Transfer the dough back to the lined baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
9
Roll out the dough to a large rectangle. This time, fold the dough in half and roll it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle using as little flour as necessary to prevent sticking.
10
Dust the dough with flour and roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 6 pieces using a pastry wheel.
11
Pull and stretch out one of the dough pieces until its ends are slightly tapered. Place 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate 1 inch parallel to the bottom edge and an equal amount of chocolate 1 more inch ahead. Roll the dough up over the chocolate, forming a croissant with the seam at the bottom. Repeat this process with the remaining 5 dough pieces.
12
Place the shaped croissants on baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Whisk together an egg and 1 tablespoon of water to make the egg wash, then brush the croissants with a large portion of it. Allow them to rise in a warm area for 60-90 minutes.
13
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush the croissants with a large portion of the egg wash again, then sprinkle sea salt on top. Bake in the preheated oven until beautifully browned, about 25 minutes. Transfer the croissants to a cooling rack and cool them to room temperature, about 1 hour.