The pain au chocolat, also called chocolate croissant or chocolate bread, is a staple of French bakeries, perfect for a sweet breakfast! Find this and many more recipes with pictures on the Giallozafferano App (in English) http://itunes.apple.com/app/giallozafferano-recipes/id384387249?mt=8 *** Ingredients for 10 pieces • 2 ½ cups (350 g) of bread flour • 1 ⅓ cups (150 g) of cake flour • just over ¼ cup (60 g) of sugar • 1 ¼ tbsp (10 g) of powdered milk • 2 ⅓ tbsp (12 g) of salt • just under 1 stick (100 g) of softened butter • ½ tbsp (7 g) of active dry yeast (or just under 1 oz-25 g of fresh yeast) • 1 cup (230 ml) of water For laminating • 2 ⅕ sticks (250 g) of butter, cold from the fridge For filling • ⅓ lb (160 g) of dark chocolate For brushing • 1 medium egg For sprinkling • powdered sugar, to taste Dissolve the active dry yeast in half the water; dissolve the salt in the remaining water. Combine the flours in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, the powdered milk and the softened butter. Turn on the mixer, beat in the yeast and water mixture and the salt and water mixture. Once the dough comes together, remove the paddle and insert the dough hook. Beat at medium speed for at least 10 min, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and gathers around the hook. Stop the mixer occasionally, remove the dough from the hook, turn it over and continue beating. Knead just until smooth, form into a rectangular shape, press down a bit, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 2 hours: it should be firm and not leave an indentation of your finger. Dust the work surface with flour and roll it out into a 17¾x10-inch (45x25 cm) rectangle. You can create a paper template of the same size. The dough should be ⅓ inch (8 mm) thick. The room temperature should be no more than 68°F (20°C). Make sure the work surface is lightly floured and roll it out with the rolling pin. Work from corner to corner to make it larger. It's important that the sides are even. Set the dough aside and take the butter block, cold from the fridge. Take the paper template, centre the butter in the bottom half, fold the paper in half to cover the butter and roll it out into a rectangle half the size of the dough. Pound the cold butter, then roll it out. Adjust the sides with a stainless steel palette knife. Place the rectangle of butter on the bottom half of the dough. If the butter has softened too much, return to the fridge for a few minutes until it firms up again. Leave a ½-inch (1 cm) border uncovered all around the edges. Fold the top half over to cover the butter, press lightly to enclose the butter, then turn the dough 90 degrees so that the fold is on your right hand side, and roll it out into a rectangle. Roll the rolling pin up and down until the dough is about ¼ inch (6-7 mm) thick. Make sure the butter does not leak and the sides are even, and extend the length of the rectangle. Now fold the bottom quarter up to the middle, more or less; then fold the top quarter down so that the edges meet, without overlapping. Make a double book fold, or four-fold: lightly press with your hands, adjust the shape, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour. It's essential to observe the resting times. Remove the dough from the fridge, place it with the fold on your right side, lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll it out into a rectangle, the same size as before. Roll from left to right too, until ¼ inch (6-7 mm) thick. Make a three-fold: fold the bottom third over the middle third of the dough and fold the top third down to cover. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for another hour. Move on to the filling: the pain au chocolat is filled with 2 chocolate sticks, 3 inches (8 cm) long, with a square cross section of ¼ inch (½ cm). Take a 3-4x4-4¾-inch (8-10 cm) loaf pan, melt the dark chocolate and pour into the pan, buttered and lined with parchment paper. Tap the pan onto the counter and place in the fridge to harden, then cut into sticks with a sharp knife. Remove the dough from the fridge, dust the work surface with flour and keep the fold to your right; roll it out into a 15¾x10-inch (40x25 cm) rectangle, ⅛ inch (3-4 mm) thick. Go both up and down and left right, so it becomes wider and longer. Cut lengthwise into 2 even rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 5 equal pieces, 3 inches (8 cm) wide. Assemble the pain au chocolat: place a chocolate stick here, fold the dough over to cover the chocolate, place another chocolate stick close to the folded dough, and roll all the way up, placing the seam on the bottom. Allow to rise on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper, for 2-2 ½ hours, until doubled in size, in a warm place, free from drafts, at a room temperature of 79°F (26°C) or less. Once risen, brush with the beaten egg and bake at 375°-390°F (190°-200°C) for about 15-20 min.

• published: 02 May 2014
• views: 11019