Crispy, golden brown, countless layers and an airy interior...
The only way to get a taste of what Pains au Chocolat really taste like in France is to make them yourself and you'll realise, it's not that difficult, you just need to be available for a short period of time and large intervals of time, so the confinement at the moment is a perfect time!
The smell in your house will be amazing when you are baking these, I was really amazed at how similar to ones in France they were.
It's very important to keep the pastry cool and refrigerate/freeze between each fold. If you don't the butter will mix in and you won't get any layers, you'll get like a brioche.
Ingredients
250 g plain flour
105 ml of water
13 g of egg
5 g honey / 1 teaspoon
8 g fresh yeast
25 g caster sugar
4.5 g salt
17 g butter, super soft
170 g butter for the layering
50 g dark chocolate
For the egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon of double cream
Recipe
Heat the water to about 30C and mix in the fresh yeast. Leave to activate for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the plain flour + egg + honey + caster sugar + salt + 17 g butter + activated yeast in water and mix with the dough hook until it comes off the sides of the bowl and the butter is well-integrated. Place in a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 6 hours.
Place the butter in some grease-proof paper and roll it out, folding the sides of the parchment paper to form a thin square of butter of about 15 cm each side.
Roll the reserved dough on a floured surface, it should be about 16 cm in width and 30 in length, make sure the edges are straight.
Place the square of butter in the center and fold the bottom and top sides of dough over. Pinch the bottom and top sides together on the sides of the square to completely lock the butter inside and prevent it from coming out.
Roll the square out into a rectangle of about 15 cm with and 30 cm length. Fold the top and bottom side into the center and then fold the square obtained into two.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Turn the dough 45 degrees to have the long side vertical and roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle of about 10 cm and 20 cm like before. Fold the bottom third onto the middle third and the top one over the two layers created.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Repeat the layering in thirds again.
Roll out the dough to about 4-5 mm thick cut the edges of the rectange to make them straight and cut out rectangles of 20 cm in length, on one side 6 cm in with and the other 7 cm, this will create the over-lapping effect.
Make sure that the 6 cm on one side is in the middle of the 7 cm on the other.
Melt your chocolate and spread onto a silpat or sheet of baking parchment and cut out at least 14 little rectangles of 7 cm in length and about 2-3 in width. Make extra, to leave room for some breaking.
Place one bar of chocolate on the 7 cm side, about 3 cm from the edge, and roll the dough over and then add the second bar of chocolate. Roll until the end of the rectangle with the pal, of your hand, applying minimal pressure.
Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, the seam on the bottom.
Repeat with as many as you can make and leave to rise in a warm place, covered with a tea-towel for 3 hours until doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 180 C and mix the egg yolk with the double cream and brush only on the top layer of the pains au chocolat.
Bake for 28 minutes, until golden on the top and bottom.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy straight away!
Before you leave, don't forget to:
Check out the new Baking Glossary on the blog if you are unsure of any baking terms.
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