The Pain au chocolat is a typical viennoiserie, also known as “chocolatine“, a French sweet pastry made of puff pastry rolled with one or more chocolate bars inside and baked in the oven. Along with the Croissant, it is the most popular breakfast in France, but now spread worldwide. In Italy, it is called chocolate saccottino, excellent for breakfast. This recipe is by French pastry chef Christophe Felder, from the book “Patisserie” of which I recommend for staying in the theme of breakfasts, the Danish Brioches and the Brioche suisse, a delicious brioche filled with custard and chocolate chips. With the dough of Danish brioches, I have also made other delights, such as the Brioche with banana and coconut jam, with an exotic flavor. All recipes also have a dairy-free version, either with lactose-free products or completely plant-based ingredients. You just have to try them all and enjoy your breakfast!
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 cup water (cold)
- 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
- 2 tbsp powdered milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 3/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 3/4 oz dark chocolate
- 1 1/8 cups butter
- 1 egg
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Work Surface
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking Tray
Steps
Combine the two flours, sugar, powdered milk, soft butter, and yeast in the bowl of the stand mixer.
Gradually pour in the cold water, starting to knead.
Then add the salt and continue kneading without overworking the dough, it should remain rather rough.
Flatten the dough with hands and shape it into a rectangle.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.Roll out the room temperature butter between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 1/2 inch.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3/4 inch, place the butter in the center of the dough.
Fold the excess dough over the butter, trying not to overlap the edges of the dough.Seal the edges. Flatten the butter with the rolling pin, then roll out the dough to form a rectangle with a thickness of 1/2 inch and fold into thirds.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll out again to a thickness of 1/2 inch and fold into thirds.
After another 30 minutes of resting in the fridge, repeat the operation, letting it rest for 1 hour before shaping the pain au chocolat.Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it to a thickness of 1/8 inch, making a large rectangle of 35×16 inches.
Cut in half and trim the edges well.At this point, cut rectangles with a base of 3 inches.
Place a chocolate bar 1/2 inch from the edge of the short side of each rectangle.
Fold the dough over the chocolate and continue rolling without pressing.Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for about 2 hours.
Brush with beaten egg.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 12/15 minutes.Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Advice
They can be frozen after shaping, on a tray. The night before, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and bake the next morning.
Alternatively, they can also be frozen after baking, just reheat them in a hot oven at 350°F for a few minutes.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I make the pain au chocolat lactose-free?
Sure, you can make them using lactose-free products or completely plant-based ones and eliminate the powdered milk.
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