Croissant Dough: Pain au Chocolat
1¼ teaspoon of dry-active yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (think: baby bath water)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups of strong plain flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons tasteless oil
½ cup chilled, unsalted butter
2 Tbs melted butter
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
½ tsp cocoa powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup chocolate chunks or chips
Mix the yeast, warm water and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Leave aside for the yeast to proof. Heat the milk until warm. Dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar. Double sift the flour into a large bowl (I found the double sifting to be a huge help with this recipe). Add the oil, yeast and milk mixture to the flour. Mix all of the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, just until all of the flour is incorporated.
Turn out the dough onto a floured working space. Let it rest for a minute while you wash out the bowl. Knead the dough about 8-10 times, or until it seems tough and not sticky. Julia Childs has a great kneading method you can watch on the video at the bottom of the page.
Place the dough back into the bowl and place the bowl in a plastic bag. Leave it at about 75 degrees F for 3 hours, or until the dough has tripled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured working space. Using your hands, press it out into a rectangle about 8x12 inches. Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter. (Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up. Place the dough letter back in the bowl and then back in the plastic bag.
Let the dough rise for another 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This second rise can also be done in the refrigerator over night.
Once the dough has doubled, it is time to incorporate the butter. Place the chilled block of butter on a chopping board. Using the rolling pin, beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. You want the butter to stay cool, but spread easily. (At this point, I put the chopping board in the freezer to keep the butter cool). Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured working space. Let it rest for a couple of minutes. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle about 14x8 inches. Remove the butter from the board and place it on the top half of the dough rectangle. Spread the butter all across the top two thirds of the dough rectangle, but keep it ¼ inch from all edges. Fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third of the dough up. (Again, like a letter). Turn the dough package 90 degrees so it looks like a book with the top flap on your right. Roll out the dough package, gently so the butter doesn't come out of the edges, until is is again 14x8 inches. Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on the lightly floured working surface. Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it. Let it rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the package out until it is 14x8 inches. Fold in three, as before. Turn 90 degrees and roll out again to 14x8 inches. Fold in three for the last time.
Wrap in plastic and return the dough package to the fridge for two more hours. You can also refrigerate it overnight at this point, just place an overturned baking sheet on top to keep it from rising.
Lightly butter a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for ten minutes. Roll it out to about 20 x 5 inches. Cut rectangles along the strip about 3x5 inches. Begin to roll the dough, just until the first end is tucked. Layer ½ of a Tablespoon of chocolate chips or chunks across the seam. Continue rolling. Layer another ½ Tablespoon of chocolate. Finish the roll and place seam down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Turn off the oven. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 1.5 hours. When they have risen, remove them from the oven and preheat it to 475 degrees F. If you wish, you can brush the pastries with an egg wash while it is preheating. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden and crisp. If you used an egg wash, they should have a darker brown color.
While they are baking, mix 2 Tbs melted butter, ½ tsp cocoa powder, ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp powdered sugar. Take the pastries out of the oven an place them on a wire rack to cool. Brush them with the chocolate glaze. Serve!
Nutritional Facts
12 servings
243.1 calories
15.7g fat / 24.7g carbs / 2.5g protein
3 tablespoons warm water (think: baby bath water)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3/4 cups of strong plain flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons tasteless oil
½ cup chilled, unsalted butter
2 Tbs melted butter
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
½ tsp cocoa powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup chocolate chunks or chips
Mix the yeast, warm water and first teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Leave aside for the yeast to proof. Heat the milk until warm. Dissolve in the salt and remaining sugar. Double sift the flour into a large bowl (I found the double sifting to be a huge help with this recipe). Add the oil, yeast and milk mixture to the flour. Mix all of the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, just until all of the flour is incorporated.
Turn out the dough onto a floured working space. Let it rest for a minute while you wash out the bowl. Knead the dough about 8-10 times, or until it seems tough and not sticky. Julia Childs has a great kneading method you can watch on the video at the bottom of the page.
Place the dough back into the bowl and place the bowl in a plastic bag. Leave it at about 75 degrees F for 3 hours, or until the dough has tripled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured working space. Using your hands, press it out into a rectangle about 8x12 inches. Fold the dough rectangle in three, like a letter. (Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up. Place the dough letter back in the bowl and then back in the plastic bag.
Let the dough rise for another 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This second rise can also be done in the refrigerator over night.
Once the dough has doubled, it is time to incorporate the butter. Place the chilled block of butter on a chopping board. Using the rolling pin, beat the butter down a little, till it is quite flat. Use the heel of your hand to continue to spread the butter until it is smooth. You want the butter to stay cool, but spread easily. (At this point, I put the chopping board in the freezer to keep the butter cool). Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured working space. Let it rest for a couple of minutes. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle about 14x8 inches. Remove the butter from the board and place it on the top half of the dough rectangle. Spread the butter all across the top two thirds of the dough rectangle, but keep it ¼ inch from all edges. Fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third of the dough up. (Again, like a letter). Turn the dough package 90 degrees so it looks like a book with the top flap on your right. Roll out the dough package, gently so the butter doesn't come out of the edges, until is is again 14x8 inches. Again, fold the top third down and the bottom third up.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Take the dough out of the fridge and place it on the lightly floured working surface. Tap the dough with the rolling pin, to deflate it. Let it rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the package out until it is 14x8 inches. Fold in three, as before. Turn 90 degrees and roll out again to 14x8 inches. Fold in three for the last time.
Wrap in plastic and return the dough package to the fridge for two more hours. You can also refrigerate it overnight at this point, just place an overturned baking sheet on top to keep it from rising.
Lightly butter a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for ten minutes. Roll it out to about 20 x 5 inches. Cut rectangles along the strip about 3x5 inches. Begin to roll the dough, just until the first end is tucked. Layer ½ of a Tablespoon of chocolate chips or chunks across the seam. Continue rolling. Layer another ½ Tablespoon of chocolate. Finish the roll and place seam down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Turn off the oven. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 1.5 hours. When they have risen, remove them from the oven and preheat it to 475 degrees F. If you wish, you can brush the pastries with an egg wash while it is preheating. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden and crisp. If you used an egg wash, they should have a darker brown color.
While they are baking, mix 2 Tbs melted butter, ½ tsp cocoa powder, ½ tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp powdered sugar. Take the pastries out of the oven an place them on a wire rack to cool. Brush them with the chocolate glaze. Serve!
Nutritional Facts
12 servings
243.1 calories
15.7g fat / 24.7g carbs / 2.5g protein