Pain au chocolat or chocolatine

Ingredients

• 500 g flour (T45 or strong flour)
• 50 g sugar
• 10 g salt
• 15 g fresh baker's yeast
• 150 ml milk
• 150 ml water
• 250 g dry butter (see tips and advice)
• 120 g chocolate (24 chocolate batons)
• 1 egg for glazing

Materials

• Stand mixer

Preparation

• In the bowl of the mixer, add the flour, salt, and sugar, and form a well. Add the crumbled yeast (be careful, it should not touch the salt!). Add the water and milk, and knead at medium speed for a few minutes.
• Then let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours (or refrigerate for 1 night).
  
• Place your butter slab on a sheet of parchment paper. Put another sheet on top, then tap it with your rolling pin to flatten it.
• Then fold the parchment paper around the butter to form a square. Roll it out with a rolling pin to create a nice square of butter, ensuring it is of even thickness throughout.
  
• Roll out the prepared dough on a floured work surface. Form a rectangle that can accommodate the butter square twice.
• Place the butter square on one side, and fold the dough over it. Do not hesitate to snug the dough around the edges so that it is the same size as the butter.
  
• Turn it 90° and gently tap the dough with your rolling pin so that the butter adheres well. This allows you to spread the butter into the dough without breaking it. Roll out the dough to about 50 cm, keeping it rectangular.
• Dust off the excess flour on your dough.
  Take the bottom of your rectangle and fold it over about 1 third of the dough. Then, fold the top of the dough over it. Everything must be aligned to create 3 uniform layers.
  
• Tap the dough again, then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes (no more, no less).
• Place the dough back on the work surface, with the 3 layers facing you. Press the edges with your rolling pin to "seal" them. Tap and then roll out the dough in the same way as in the previous step.
  
• Fold it again into thirds, being careful to dust off the flour on the dough so that it does not get caught in the folds. Refrigerate again for 20 minutes.
• You can repeat this operation a third time to achieve a nice flaky texture. If you are short on time, you can fold it just twice.
  
• Then roll out the dough into a rectangle about 25 x 40 cm. Cut it in half lengthwise.
• Using the chocolate sticks as a guide, cut rectangles with a good knife.
  
• On a rectangle, place 2 chocolate sticks as shown in the photo.
• Roll the chocolatine, making sure to tuck the edge under the pastry so that it does not rise during baking.
  
• Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush each chocolatine with beaten egg. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C (check that they are fully baked).
  
• And voilà, your chocolatines are ready!

Observations

Butter: For puff pastry, it is generally recommended to use a "dry" butter, which melts at a higher temperature than regular butter. You will find it sold as "butter for laminating" (beurre de tourage), or as AOP-protected butter such as Poitou-Charentes butter.

Resting times: They are essential for keeping the butter at the right temperature. If the resting time is too short, the butter may become too soft and "marble" (instead of forming a layer, it breaks into lots of pieces). If the resting time is too long, the butter will harden too much and will be difficult to roll out. The result will be the same: it will no longer be uniform, and the layers will not develop properly.

Freezing: You can freeze your pain au chocolat as soon as you have shaped them. In the evening, place them on a baking sheet and leave them to thaw and rise overnight. Bake them in the morning and enjoy freshly baked, warm pain au chocolat.

Questions

Photos of members who cooked this recipe