Pain au Chocolat
4 tablespoons (60g) butter, softened
4 cups (500g) all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon (17g) dry yeast
1 1/2 cups (360ml) cold milk
4 ounce (113g) semi sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
Butter Layer
1 1/2 cups (345g) butter, softened
2 tablespoons (16g) flour
Egg Wash
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1. cut the butter in pieces and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment . Add flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix until combined
2. with the motor running on low, slowly drizzle the cold milk into the bowl. When all the milk has incorporated, turn the speed to medium and knead for at least 5 minutes
3. remove dough from the bowl, and with floured hands, work into a ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured silicone baking mat. Gently flatten the dough out into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
- 4. remove from the refrigerator, and with the dough still on the silicone mat, shape it into a rectangle, first with your hands, and then with a rolling pin. Roll the dough out to exactly 14" x 10" (35 x 25cm). Edges should be sharp
- 5. place the rolled out dough onto the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight
- 6. Butter Layer in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and flour together until smooth. Transfer to a silicone mat, and using a spatula, smooth the butter out into a 7" x 10" (18 x 25cm). Place in the refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes
- 7. Laminate the dough In this next step, you will be rolling out the dough into a large rectangle. Do this on a lightly floured counter instead of rolling out on your silicone baking mat. Remove both the dough and butter layers from the refrigerator. Place the butter layer in the center of the dough and fold each end of the dough over it. Seal the dough edges over the butter layer as best you can with your fingers. On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough into a 10" × 20" (25 x 50cm) rectangle. It’s best to roll back and forth with the shorter end of the dough facing you. Use your fingers if you need to. Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds as if you were folding a letter. This was the 1st turn
- 8. 2nd turn: Turn the dough so the short end is facing you. Roll the dough out once again into a 10" ×20" (25 x 50cm) rectangle, then fold the dough lengthwise into thirds as if you were folding a letter. Place the folded dough on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before the 3rd turn
- 9. 3rd turn: Roll the dough out once again into a 10" ×20" (25 x 50cm) rectangle. Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds as if you were folding a letter. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight
- 10. Shape the Pains: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough out into an 8" ×20" (20 x 50cm) rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the dough in half vertically. Then make 6 evenly spaced cuts horizontally. You will have 12 small rectangles. Using your fingers or a rolling pin, stretch each to be about 8" (20cm) long. Do this gently as you do not want to flatten the layers. Place a few small pieces of chocolate in a single layer at one end and tightly roll the dough up around the chocolate. Make sure the end is on the bottom. Repeat with remaining dough, placing the shaped Pains on 2 lined baking sheets. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour, then place in the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour or up to 12 hours
11. preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
12. Whisk the egg wash Whisk the egg and the milk together. Brush each Pain lightly with the egg wash
13. Bake the Pains: Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. If Pains show signs of darkening too quickly, reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C)
14. Remove Pains au Chocolat from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar
