Pain au chocolat

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Put 500 g bread flour, 55 g granulated sugar, 10 g salt and 7 g instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, add 150 g cold water, 130 g cold whole milk and 40 g softened unsalted butter, and knead on low speed for about five minutes. The dough needs only moderate kneading, because the folding later will keep developing the gluten. The dough is ready when it is smooth and a little tacky but not yet truly elastic.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Press the dough into a flat rectangle of about 20 by 25 cm, wrap it well and refrigerate for about eight hours or overnight. A slow, cold rest lets the yeast develop flavor and gets the dough cold enough to roll out with the butter. The dough is ready when it has risen slightly, is evenly cold and bends easily.

   Suggested time: about 480 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Place 250 g cold unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment, pound it flat with a rolling pin, then roll it into a 17 cm square and refrigerate for about fifteen minutes. The butter needs to be pliable but still cold so it spreads evenly without melting. The butter block is ready when it bends without breaking and its surface is flat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Roll the dough into a square twice the size of the butter block, set the butter in the middle turned on the diagonal, then fold the four corners of dough over it to enclose it completely and pinch the seams tightly. Sealing the butter in keeps it from squeezing out as you roll. This step is done when the butter sits neatly inside like a sealed envelope.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll the dough into a long strip three times as long as it is wide, brush off the excess flour, then fold it in thirds like a letter, wrap it and refrigerate for thirty minutes. Each letter fold triples the number of butter and dough layers. The turn is right when the edges are straight and no butter shows through.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Rotate the dough ninety degrees so the folded edge is on your left, roll it out long again, fold it in thirds and chill for thirty minutes. Changing direction stretches the gluten evenly both ways so the pastries do not turn out lopsided. The dough is right when it rolls out easily without springing back hard.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Make the third and final letter fold the same way, wrap well and refrigerate for an hour. The longer rest lets the dough relax completely before you roll it thin for cutting. The dough is ready when it is cold and firm and does not dent deeply when pressed.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Roll the dough into a rectangle about four millimeters thick, trim the edges cleanly, then cut it into sixteen rectangles of about 8 by 13 cm with a sharp knife. A sharp, decisive cut keeps the layers at the edges from sticking together, so the pastry rises in tiers. This step is done when the pieces are all the same size and the cut edges clearly show the layers.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Divide 150 g dark chocolate into small batons, lay one baton at a short edge of a dough rectangle, roll it over once, add a second baton and roll up the rest of the way, leaving the seam underneath. Keeping the seam on the bottom stops the pastry from unrolling as it rises. The pastries are ready when they are neatly rolled, the chocolate shows at both ends, and they are spaced apart on the baking sheet.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Cover the pastries loosely and proof in a warm spot at about 26°C for about two hours; do not let it get any warmer or the butter will melt out. The yeast needs time to puff the pastries up so the crumb turns light and airy. They are ready when they have grown by half, jiggle when you shake the tray and show clear layers at both ends.

    Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Preheat the oven to 190°C about twenty minutes before the pastries finish proofing. A fully hot oven turns the water in the butter to steam right away, which separates the layers of dough. The oven is ready when the temperature has held steady at the set point.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Beat 50 g eggs with 10 g whole milk and brush it lightly over the tops of the pastries, taking care not to let it drip onto the cut edges. Egg on the edges glues the layers together and keeps the pastry from rising well. The tops are right when they are evenly shiny with no pooled drops.

    Mark step 12 as done

13. Step 13

    Bake at 190°C for about 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the tray after ten minutes. This temperature is enough to open up the layers and caramelize the outer crust. The pastries are done when they are a deep golden brown, feel light when you pick them up and crackle when you gently squeeze an edge.

    Bake at 190°C for about 16 to 20 minutes.

    Mark step 13 as done

14. Step 14

    Move the pastries to a rack to cool for about fifteen minutes before eating. Letting the steam escape keeps the crust crisp and the chocolate from being too hot. They are ready when the crust is dry and crisp and the chocolate inside is still soft.

    Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

    Mark step 14 as done