Make French Pains au Chocolat at Home

Pains au chocolat is a really wonderful treat. Additionally, the dish is widely recognized as a café favorite and a quintessential French pastry.

Additionally, in some countries it is known as chocolate croissants or chocolatine. This variation underscores its status as an example of French pastries, or Viennoiserie that gourmets and families alike enjoy worldwide.

I must say this is not a simple recipe.

It uses the same dough as for croissants.

This process takes a long time and requires patience to achieve good results.

Additionally, the reward for such patience is a delicious treat.

The first step is to make a yeasted dough.

It goes into the fridge overnight.

The next day, the real work begins.

Laminating the dough follows.

That is where you will need to be patient.

It can be tricky.

Beloved in France, and worldwide, Pains are crisp and flaky outside and then soft, airy and buttery inside. The chocolate is a great finishing touch, adding richness and flavour.

The recipe will make 16 Pains au chocolat. I only bake 8 at first. Then I make 8 more a few days later, storing the dough in the fridge until I need it.

Ingredients for Pains au Chocolat

Flour – Bread flour, or other flour that has a protein level between 11% and 11.5%.

Butter – Unsalted butter is best. The recipe uses a little softened butter for the dough, and then much more cold unsalted butter for laminating.

Water – Cold water is one of the liquids for making the dough.

Milk – Cold Milk is another liquid for making the dough.

Powdered Milk – Whole milk powder is best, but I think skimmed milk powder will be fine. This enriches the dough with adding more liquid. As a tip, in the UK whole milk powder is often found with the ingredient for Asian cookery.

Sugar – I use caster sugar, but granulated sugar will be fine too.

Honey – Just a little honey adds extra richness and suppleness to the dough.

Yeast – I use instant yeast. You can use active dried yeast, but it will need activating first. Fresh yeast will also work, but about 3 times the amount of my instant yeast.

Salt – as ever, to bring everything together.

Egg – For an egg wash before baking.

Dark Chocolate – I use chocolate batons which are made for such pastries. However chopped dark chocolate, or even chocolate chips will be fine. You can even melt dark chocolate and then pour it onto a small tray and let is set before cutting into batons if you wish.

Process for Pains au Chocolat

To make Pains au chocolat, start by preparing the dough.

Next, I use my stand mixer.

Mix everything except the cold butter, chocolate, and egg into a dough.

Knead it until it is soft and very stretchy.

Then divide it into two equal pieces and rest briefly before refrigerating overnight.

One the second day for, each ball of dough, form half of the cold butter into a rectangle (20cm x 14 cm/8in x 5 1/2 in). Chill until it is cold but flexible without cracking.

For each ball of dough roll out into a rectangle (28 cm x 20 cm/11 in x 8 in).

Enclose the butter sheet in the dough, sealing teh joining edge.

Then roll out the dough (chill it first if necessary to keep everything cold) into a long, thin shape.

I like to try about 54cm x 18cm (21in x 7 in), but slightly shorter will be fine.

Then do a book fold, as explained in the recipe below.

Chill the dough again before rolling out to roughly the same dimensions and doing a letter fold, as explained in the recipe below.

Chill the dough again before rolling out to a square about 32cm(13 inches). Be patient, as it may be difficult to roll. Each time the dough starts to spring back chill it again to let the dough relax, then continue.

Cut the dough in half into two strips, then cut each strip into 4 rectangles 8cm wide and 15 to 16 cm long(3 in x 9 in).

Shaping the Pains au Chocolat

For each piece of dough place a chocolate baton, or line of chocolate just inside one 8cm(3 in) edge and roll the dough to cover it. Add another baton and then roll up completely. Place the rolled dough onto a lined baking sheet.

Spray a little water on each roll of dough. Place the baking tray in the oven(the oven must not be turned on) and place a pan of hot water on the bottom of the oven. Leave for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough has risen a little and is very soft indeed.

Take the tray out of the oven and preheat the oven(180C/160C Fan/350F). Brush beaten egg over each roll.

Bake the Pains au Chocolat for 17 to 20 minutes, until risen and dark on top. Mine took 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

My Bake

I let my 8 Pain au Chocolat bake for 20 minutes. They took on a great colour, and were nice and flaky. I took them out of the oven and carefully transferred them to a wire rack, using a lovely cookie lifter. But you can leave them for a few minutes to let them firm up if you wish, then transfer them.

After letting them cool I was able to enjoy one, or even too, with that deliciously soft texture, with the flaky exterior. The flavour with the chocolate and all that lovely butter was just perfect.

Pains au Chocolate are my perfect afternoon treat.

Another great afternoon treat is Palmiers

Pains au Chocolat – A French Classic

Recipe by geoffcoo

Course: RecipesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Difficult

Servings

16

servings

Prep time(excl waiting)

2

hours 

Cooking time

20

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 500g grams bread flour(3 1/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup)

• 50 grams soft unsalted butter(3 1/2 tbsp)

• 100 ml cold water(1/3 cup + 4 tsp)

• 140 ml cold milk(1/2 cup + 4 tsp)

• 20 grams whole milk powder(2 1/2 tbsp)

• 20g grams honey(1 tbsp)

• 70 grams caster sugar(5 1/2 tbsp)

• 9 grams instant yeast(3 tsp)

• 9 grams salt(1 1/2 tsp)

• 250 grams cold unsalted butter(1 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp)

• 100 grams dark chocolate(3 1/2 oz) see note below

• 1 egg, for egg wash

Directions

• Put all the ingredients, except the 250g butter, the chocolate and the egg into the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Mix it to a shaggy dough, then knead until the dough is soft and very stretchy. Mine took 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal piece and form each into a ball.
• Cover the dough balls with a clean towel and leave for 20 minutes.
• Form each piece of the into a rectangle about 20cm x 16cm(8 x 6 inches).
• Wrap them in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Then transfer them to the fridge until tomorrow.
• For each piece of dough(which will make 8 pains au chocolat) do all the following steps, so you can delay making 8 until another day if you wish(as I did).
• Take 125g of cold butter and form it into a rectangle 20cm x 14 cm(8 in x 5.5 in), enclosing it in plastic wrap or parchment paper. I form a template and I wrap the butter and then hit it with the rolling pin to soften a little before rolling into the shape.
• Place the shaped butter in the fridge to chill.
• Roll out the dough to a rectangle 28cm x 20 cm(11 in x 8 in).
• When the butter is chilled enough to be cold, firm and flexible, without cracking when bent, place it in the middle of the dough.
• Cut the dough along the edge of the butter and place the two pieces of cut dough onto the butter and stretch it to cover the butter, sealing the join down the middle.
• If the butter seems soft, wrap the dough and chill for a few minutes.
• Place the dough on a floured surface, with the seal on the top pointing north to south.
• Roll out the dough to about 55cm(21.5 in) x 18cm(7 in), don’t worry if it is slightly less.
• Brush off any excess flour, then fold the dough in half to create a soft crease half way down.
• Unfold the dough, then fold the top edge down to the crease.
• Fold the bottom edge up to the crease.
• Then fold one half onto the other half. That is one complete book turn.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Place the dough with exposed edges north to south. then take a knife and cut along folded edges at the sides.
• Roll out again to about the same dimensions as before. If the dough begins to spring back chill it for about 10 minutes before resuming.
• Brush off excess flour and fold the top one third over the middle one third.
• Brush again and then fold the bottom one third over the top. That is a single/letter fold.
• Wrap the dough and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Cut the folded edges again, then roll out the dough to 32cm x 32cm(13 in x 13 in). This make take some time since the dough will be stiff and will start to spring back. Each time it gets soft, or springs back wrap it and chill it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
• When the dough is rolled out cut it down the middle to make two strips.
• Cut each strip into 4 pieces, 8cm x 15-16 cm(3 in x 9 in).
• For each piece place a chocolate baton, or strip of chocolate just inside one 8 cm(3 in) edge, and roll the dough to cover the chocolate completely.
• Place another baton against the rolled dough and the roll up completely.
• Place onto a lined baking tray.
• Spray the top of each roll with water.
• Place a pan of hot water on the bottom of the oven(oven must be turned off).
• Place the tray(s) into the oven and leave them for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough is very soft indeed, and puffy.
• Take them out of the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
• Brush the top of each roll of dough with beaten egg.
• Bake the pains au chocolat for 17 to 20 minutes, until they are dark and flaky and cooked right through.
• They will be very delicate, so let them cool a little before gently transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• I use 32 chocolate batons, 16 for each batch of 8 Pain au chocolat. But you can use chopped up dark chocolate instead, and just spread that in lines on the dough.