Description
Indulge in the delightful experience of homemade chocolate croissants (Pain au Chocolat) that will transport you to a quaint French bakery right in your own kitchen. These pastries feature layers of flaky, buttery dough enveloping rich chocolate, making them the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or any special occasion. With a bit of patience and our step-by-step guide, you’ll master this classic French recipe and impress family and friends with your baking prowess. Customize your croissants with various chocolate types or add nuts for an extra crunch. Get ready to enjoy warm, decadent pastries that are sure to become a favorite!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling/shaping
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold whole milk
- one 4-ounce bar (113g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Make the dough by mixing softened butter, flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a stand mixer. Gradually add cold milk until combined.
- Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until soft but slightly tacky. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle and refrigerate again for at least 4 hours.
- Prepare a butter layer by mixing softened butter with flour; chill after spreading it into a rectangle.
- Laminate the dough by enclosing the butter layer and rolling it out multiple times with chilling in between.
- Shape croissants by cutting rectangles and rolling them around chopped chocolate.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) until golden brown.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 croissant (80g)
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 55mg