Homemade Chocolate Croissants (Pain au Chocolat) Recipe
Indulge in the buttery, flaky goodness of these Homemade Chocolate Croissants, also known as Pain au Chocolat. These decadent pastries are filled with rich chocolate and make for a delightful treat at any time of day.
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Yield: 16 croissants 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dough:
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling/shaping
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold whole milk
Filling:
- One 4-ounce bar (113g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Butter Layer:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) whole milk
Instructions
- Make the dough: Cut the butter in four 1-Tablespoon slices and place in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Turn the mixer on low-medium speed to gently combine. Slowly pour in the milk and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Knead the dough: Beat for an additional 5 minutes until soft and slightly tacky. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Shape the dough: Roll the dough into a rectangle and rest in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- Butter layer: Beat butter and flour together, form a rectangle, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Laminate the dough: Roll out dough, place butter layer in the center, fold, and roll into a rectangle. Fold into thirds, refrigerate, and repeat twice more.
- Shape the croissants: Roll out dough, slice, fill with chocolate, roll, and shape into croissants. Let rest, then brush with egg wash.
- Bake: Bake at 400°F (204°C) until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Notes
- For best results, follow the steps precisely to achieve flaky layers.
- These croissants can be frozen before or after baking for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 croissant
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: Homemade Chocolate Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, Chocolate Pastry Recipe
