Easy (Well, Easier) Pain Au Chocolat Recipe
Prep Time:
7 hours
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Servings:
10 Croissants
Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 cups flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate
  • 1 egg
Directions
  1. Chop 1 ¼ cups butter into rough chunks
  2. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter until large crumbs form.
  3. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, yeast, and salt and continue cutting into the flour until small crumbs form.
  4. Using the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer, slowly add the milk to the dry ingredients while the machine is running to form a dough.
  5. Mix on low speed for 3-5 minutes.
  6. Then let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  7. Knead on low speed again for 8 minutes.
  8. Cover the dough and let rise for 20 minutes.
  9. Deflate the dough with your hands.
  10. Form and flatten the dough into a rough rectangle, about 8 x 9 inches wide and 3 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
  11. Cut the dough into 20 equal pieces.
  12. Roll each piece into a thin rectangle, trying to make them all close in size, about 4 x 5 inches. Make them as thin as possible.
  13. Stack the dough sheets on top of each other. You may dust each layer with flour, but it is not necessary.
  14. Take one sheet of dough, lay it flat, use a microplane to grate some of the remaining ¾ cup of frozen butter over the surface of the sheet until it is covered.
  15. Add another dough sheet on top and gently flatten.
  16. Repeat with all of the remaining dough sheets until you have a large stack.
  17. Wrap the stack in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  18. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  19. Roll out the stack with a rolling pin using firm and even pressure.
  20. Continue rolling until you have a large, thin sheet, about 24 inches by 18 inches.
  21. Cut the dough in half lengthwise and then crosswise to form 10 strips.
  22. Cut the chocolate into rods or shavings.
  23. Place a piece or two of chocolate along the edge of the croissant dough and another 2 inches from the end.
  24. Roll the croissant dough over the chocolate.
  25. Continue to roll the dough over the next strip of chocolate.
  26. Finish rolling up the entire strip and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  27. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough. Allow the croissants to rise in a warm environment for 30 minutes or until fluffy and jiggly.
  28. Whisk the egg with a few drops of water to form an egg wash.
  29. Brush the top of each croissant with egg wash.
  30. Bake the croissants in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. The outside will turn dark before the inside has fully cooked, so wait the full 25 minutes.
  31. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve with your favorite cup of coffee.