PAINS AU CHOCOLAT

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• Pour the flour, water, crumbled fresh yeast, and cream into the bowl of the mixer.

  Start kneading with the dough hook.

  When half kneaded, add the sugar.

  Then add the butter and salt. Continue kneading.

  Place the dough on the work surface, shape it into a ball, and put it in the bowl to rise.

  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 12 hours.

  After the resting time, I usually knead in the evening and let it rise overnight, prepare the butter for laminating. 

  Place the butter between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/3 inch thick.

  If the butter softens too much during this step, put it back in the fridge for a few minutes before continuing.

  Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out into a rectangle twice the size of the butter, to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

  Place the butter in the center of the dough rectangle.

  Fold the dough over without overlapping the two sides and seal the edges in the center.

  Turn the dough 90°, so one of the openings is in front of you, and gently tap with the rolling pin to roll it out to a thickness of 1/3 inch (it’s crucial to respect the thickness). This way, the butter does not break and is not absorbed by the dough, avoiding tearing it with butter leakage. It’s important that both dough and butter are cold. Lightly dust the dough with flour to roll it out.

  Maintain a rectangular shape, trimming any excess dough.

  Now we need to do the folds, usually one four-fold and two three-folds… this time I decided to do three three-folds.

  To make a three-fold, fold the top flap of dough toward the center and overlap with the bottom flap. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the dough out, lightly sprinkle with flour, and roll out again maintaining the rectangular shape and repeat the three-fold.

  Put it back in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.

  Take the dough out and place the side opening to the right, and gently tap with the rolling pin to start rolling. Repeat the three-fold.

  After the last fold, put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

  Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out to a thickness of 1/6 inch, gently, being careful not to tear the dough, as this is when it can tear more easily.

  Trim the sides of your rectangle to form a straight, precise rectangle.

  Cut strips 4 inches long and 1.2 inches wide (I made them really mini, but you can make them larger if you want).

  Place a chocolate stick at the base, at the start of the rectangle. Roll it to cover it completely, pressing lightly.

  Then add another stick and roll it completely. Try to place the seam of the Pain au chocolat underneath so it doesn’t open during baking.

  Repeat this operation for each strip and place the pains au chocolat on a baking sheet with parchment paper or perforated mat.

  Spray a little water over your pains au chocolat and let them rise in the turned-off oven with the light on for about 3/4 hours until doubled.

  Lightly brush the surface with egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of milk.

  Bake in a preheated fan oven at 340°F for about 20 minutes. Always check as baking time may vary depending on your oven.