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5 from 1 vote

Pain au chocolat

Ingredients

  • 500 g very strong white bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 easy bake yeast sachet (7g)
  • 75 g unrefined golden caster sugar
  • 270 ml water
  • 350 g butter unsalted
  • 250 g plain chocolate 70% cocoa

Instructions

  • Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water in a mixing bowl to form a firm dough. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in an electric mixer bowl using a dough hook.
  • Remove the butter from the fridge and warm very slightly so that it can be flattened out into a rough rectangle about 1-2cm thick.
  • Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is roughly a third larger than the size of the butter.
  • Place the butter on top of the dough, making sure it only covers two-thirds of it.
  • Fold the third of the dough that’s not covered by the butter over the butter-covered dough. You will be left with a third of the butter-covered dough exposed. Fold that back onto the dough, layering the dough and the butter.
  • Roll the butter and dough layers with a rolling pin to press them down. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  • Take the dough butter mix out of the fridge, place the short end towards you and roll out the dough into a rectangular shape, approximately 15mm thick. Repeat the folding process, cover with cling-film and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  • Repeat the folding and chilling process two more times so that you have rolled and folded 4 times. Wrap loosely in cling film and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Roll out the chilled dough to a large rectangle the thickness of a pound coin.
  • Cut the dough into 12 x 12cm squares.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut the chocolate into 12 lengths (don’t worry if it shatters a little). Arrange a row of chocolate along one edge of each piece of dough and roll the dough over forming a sausage.
  • Place the pain au chocolat on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C, gas mark 7). Bake the pain au chocolat for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden. Serve warm.