Just imagine opening your oven door to the sight of Pain au Chocolat baking in your oven.
The smell of buttery croissant dough wafting through your home.
Hot, crisp Pain au Chocolat baking in your oven...in just four days.
Four days????
Yes. I'm sorry to say it will take a few minutes of your time for four days.
Several years ago a good friend and I traveled to Essex, Vermont for a "whisk-a-way weekend" at the New England Culinary Institute (NECI). One of the best weekends of my life!
The classes were all about breads. They were all amazing hands on classes. The class I remember the most was taught by Gayle and Joe Ortiz (artisanal bread expert and author the The Village Baker and The Village Baker's Wife). I purchased both of their cookbooks, where I found this recipe.
I'm taking your through this process step-by-step, day-by-day. Rolled in butter dough is not hard, just a little time consuming...4 days worth BUT only minutes a day.
For all you avid bakers...this one's for you. Here we go.
Day 1:
You will need:
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (NOT INSTANT)
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup cold milk
This is active dry yeast. NOT instant or rapid rise. Just regular active dry yeast.
Add 1/4 cup warm water.
Stir until dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes or until it begins to foam up.
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the salt (yes that's 1 TABLESPOON)
Add sugar
Whisk together.
Pinch pieces of the softened butter into the flour mixture.
Rub the butter and flour together with your fingers and hands.
The butter will almost be fully dissolved.
See how the yeast is foamy on top? This is how your yeast should look.
This means it's alive and active.
Pour the yeast into the flour, butter mixture.
Stir.
Add the cold milk.
Mix until evenly combined and no dry spots appear.
The dough will begin to form a ball.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Knead for just one minute.
Do not over mix or knead or the mixture will become too elastic to roll out. Trust me you'll regret over mixing on day 2.
Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet. I like to pat the dough into an oval shape and flatten in down.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
THAT'S IT. You have just completed day one. That probably took about 15 minutes.
Day 2:
This day has the most steps and will take up the most time.
Before you remove the dough from the refrigerator, you will need 3 cubes (3/4 pound or 1 1/2 cups) UNSALTED butter. DO NOT use salted butter. You just put 1 tablespoon of salt in the dough...get it?
The object is to keep everything as cold as possible.
You need to soften the butter just a bit to make it easier to roll into the dough. You DON'T want the butter room temperature. Take a rolling pin and start to pound the butter. Pound the butter on all sides until it just begins to soften. If the butter softens too much, return it to the refrigerator.
Once the butter has softened a bit, unwrap the cubes and place them together on a lightly floured surface. Your goal is to create a flat block of butter that measured 5 x 5 x 3/4-inch. Or as close to that at possible without the butter becoming too soft.
I just take my rolling pin and roll, pound, and flatten.
You might have to tip the butter on it's sides to help flatten.
My butter is just a bit rectangular shape, but I don't want to over work it. It's close enough and will work.
Now you can remove the dough from the refrigerator that you made on day one.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
You will need a good, sturdy rolling pin. It's going to get a good workout...so are you!
Roll the dough into a rectangle that is 12 x 6-inches.
I take a push the sides of the dough with my hands to create straight sides.
I have a pastry brush that I keep for brushing flour off of my dough. I never get it wet or use it for anything other than brushing flour off of dough. If any family members use it for anything other than that, I will beat them with my rolling pin! It's best to just hide it somewhere safe.
Place the butter on the right side of the dough.
Lift and fold the left side up over the butter.
Pinch the edges together.
Throughout this process keep the folded side to your left. You're asking why? Because that's what Gayle said to do in her book. So I do it! It helps.
GENTLY very gently begin to roll the dough. You are going to roll it into a rectangle that is 10 x 22-inches.
You goal is this: NOT to rip the dough. You NEVER EVER want to see any of the butter coming through the dough. You are going to ever so gently mold and roll the rectangle until it becomes 10 x 22-inches.
I did it!
Brush off any remains of flour.
Fold the bottom third up to the center.
Brush off flour.
Fold the top third down over the lower third of dough. This is called the beurrage.
Brush off flour.
Return the dough to the lightly floured baking sheet.
Notice that the fold is to my left.
Take your finger and make an indentation in the dough. This signifies that you have just completed one "turn" of rolling in the butter.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Set a timer for 45 minutes. Just plan on staying home for a few hour until you have completed three turns of rolling the dough. #1 - check!
The timer just went off. Your dough has been in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on the floured surface. Repeat what you just did.
Roll the dough into a 10 x 22-inch rectangle.
Brush off the flour.
Fold up lower third of dough.
Brush off flour.
Fold over upper third of dough.
Brush off flour.
turn the rectangle so the fold is on the left.
Make two finger prints in the dough. Signifying you have complete 2 turns of rolling the dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator for another 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the process.
Roll dough into a 10 x 22-inch rectangle. Remember we are still being VERY gentle. Do not force or rip the dough. Gently, very, very gently roll the dough.
Fold on the left...ya you have the routine down now.
Return to the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator overnight.
That completes day 2. Not too bad?
Day 3:
The creation of the Pain au Chocolat
You will need:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons of milk
semi-sweet chocolate chips
Add the milk to the egg.
Mix together with a fork.
Pull everything out...the rolling pin, ruler, pastry brushes, 2 baking sheets lined with parchment or lightly greased. Let's begin.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Place on a lightly floured surface.
Ever so gently begin to roll the cold dough. Roll the dough into a 28 x 12-inch rectangle. This will take some time. Don't rush it. You still do not want to press or rip the dough. Keep that butter well hidden. Just keep rolling, and rolling and rolling....
Yes. You will feel this tomorrow in your biceps and shoulders. It's a great upper body workout.
I did it. Well...it's close enough...not exact, but close. As you roll the butter will begin to soften
that's why I decided the size was close enough because the butter was starting to soften. We want
to keep the butter cold and firm.
ONCE again brush off the flour.
Cut three strips that are 4-inches wide.
I'm using a pizza cutter. You can use a knife.
Whoops...that's ok. Just a little swerve there...no big deal.
Now cut each long strip into 7-inch long piece.
You will ONLY have twelve pieces of dough. Yes all of this work for just a dozen heavenly pain au chocolat.
Brush each piece with the egg wash.
SAVE THE REMAINING EGG WASH. YOU WILL NEED IT TOMORROW. COVER AND REFRIGERATE WITH THE ROLLS.
Fill only the center third of the dough with chocolate chips. About 2 tablespoons.
Fold down the top third over the chocolate chips.
Press down on the dough.
Fold the lower third of the dough up over the top third.
Press again.
Place on a baking sheet. Repeat the process until all of the pieces of dough have been filled with chocolate chips and folded.
Brush of any excess flour. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator over night.
DAY 4:
Baking Day!!!!
Remove the pain au chocolat from the refrigerator.
I hope you saved the extra egg wash. You are going to need it now.
Uncover the dough.
Place only 6 rolls to a baking sheet.
Brush the tops and sides with egg wash.
Lightly spray the plastic wrap with a non-stick spray such as PAM. Lightly cover the dough and allow them to rise for 3-5 hours. The time depends on how warm your house is.
Ever so gently uncover the dough.
I like to press the dough with my finger. If it feels like a marshmallow, that means it's time to bake.
Place the pain au chocolat in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake...
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown or until you just can't stand it anymore because your mouth is watering from the smell of buttery bread baking.
Hot homemade Pain au Chocolat. Who needs Paris??? ME!!!!
Pain au Chocolat
Croissant dough:
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (Not instant or rapid rise)
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup cold milk
1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter
egg glaze:
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
filling:
12-oz semi sweet chocolate chip
To make the dough, place the water in a small bowl, sprinkle with yeast. Dissolve and let rest undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pinch off small pieces of the 1/4 cup of butter, sprinkle them over the dry ingredients. Rub in to the flour by hand until they are almost fully dissolved. Stir in the yeast mixture and add it to the flour mixture. Add the cold milk.
With a wooden spoon, mix the wet and dry ingredients just until evenly combined and all dry spots have disappeared. The dough will be of medium stiffness. like a moist bread dough. The dough may also be mixed in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook; just be careful not to over mix it or it will become too elastic to roll out.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for about 1 minutes. Place the dough on a floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate the dough overnight.
To roll in the butter, remove the butter from the refrigerator. Leaving the butter in its wrappers, with a wooden rolling pin pound each stick lightly but firmly on all four sides until softened. Unwrap the sticks and join them together. On a lightly floured surface, using the rolling pin, mold the butter into a flat block measuring 5 x 5 -3/4-inch. Work quickly, making sure the butter is soft, but still cold. If it gets warm, return it to the refrigerator for several minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, place it on a lightly floured table, and roll it into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle.
Place the cold butter on the right half of the dough, then fold the other half of the dough over the butter. Pinch the edges to seal.
With the folded edge on your left, roll the dough out lengthwise so that it measures 22 x 10-inches. Next, fold the bottom third up and the top third down. The is the beurrage.
Cover the dough, place it on a baking sheet and refrigerator for 45 minutes.
For the turns, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Position the dough so that the folded edge running the length of the dough is on the left. Make sure the edges are still sealed. roll the dough out length wise so it measures approximately 22 x 10-inches. Fold the dough in thirds, beginning with the lower third, as before (you have completed one turn.)
Place the dough on the baking sheet. With your finger make one small indentation on an edge of the dough to indicate one turn has been made. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Repeat this process 2 more times. Doing three turns. Return the dough to the baking sheet and refrigerate overnight.
To make Pain au Chocolate:
Whisk together the egg and milk. Line a baking with parchment paper.
Roll the croissant dough out to a 28 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut tht dough into three 4-inch strips. Cut each strip into 7-inch long pieces. Brush each piece with egg wash. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoon of chocolate chips onto the middle third of each piece of dough. fold the lower third over the chips and the upper third over that. Gently press or seal with your fingers. Repeat this process with the rest of the dough. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the pastries between them, leaving approximately 2inches between each one to allow space for rising. Brush them with the left over egg glaze and let rise until they are puffy and feel like marshmallows.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the baking sheets on the center 4rack in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
