Chocolate Croissants (Pain au Chocolat)
Buttery, flaky laminated pastries with melted chocolate bars at the center. This recipe uses a simplified three-fold lamination technique rather than the traditional six-folds, making it manageable for home bakers while still delivering those crispy, golden layers. A long cold fermentation builds flavor and makes the dough easier to handle. Fresh from the oven, these croissants have shattering crispy exteriors and tender, airy interiors surrounding ribbons of melted chocolate.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 19 hr
- Total
- 20 hr 5 min
- Makes
- 12 chocolate croissants
Steps
Before you start
- Remove butter from fridge 30 minutes before laminating so it's pliable but still cold (68°F / 20°C)
- Chill a large bowl and baking sheets in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before use
- Read through the lamination steps—they're the trickiest part but follow a clear pattern
- Plan to start this recipe the day before you want fresh croissants for breakfast
Make the dough
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine bread flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar.
- Pour in the cold milk and egg yolk.
- Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes until a shaggy mass forms, then increase to medium speed and knead for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch.
- It should not be sticky or wet.
- Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature (70°F / 21°C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy but not doubled.
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Ready when: Dough is puffy, springs back slowly when poked, and smells yeasty
Tip: The dough will be firmer than many yeasted doughs—this is intentional to handle lamination.
Flatten and chill dough
- On a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten the dough into a rough 6 × 8 inch rectangle.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
- This resting period makes the dough much easier to laminate and develops flavor.
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Ready when: Dough is cold and firm to the touch
Tip: Overnight chilling (up to 16 hours) improves flavor significantly—plan accordingly.
Prepare the butter sheet
- Remove the cold butter block from the fridge (it should be 68°F / 20°C, pliable but not soft).
- Place it between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Using a rolling pin, pound and roll the butter into an even ¼-inch-thick rectangle, approximately 6 × 8 inches, matching the dimensions of your chilled dough as closely as possible.
- Keep it cool on the parchment.
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Ready when: Butter is evenly thick, pliable but not soft, and fits the dough dimensions
Tip: If butter gets too warm and sticky, refrigerate for 5 minutes. Uneven thickness ruins lamination.
First lamination (butter lock-in)
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- Remove the butter from between parchment sheets and place it on top of the dough, covering most of it.
- Fold all four edges of the dough over the butter like wrapping a package—fold the top third down, the bottom third up, then fold left and right sides over.
- This seals the butter inside.
- Rotate 90 degrees, then roll the dough packet gently with a rolling pin into a 6 × 12 inch rectangle (about ¼ inch thick).
- Fold in thirds like a letter: fold the top third down, fold the bottom third up on top.
- This is your first 'turn.' Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is folded into thirds and feels cold and firm
Tip: Use light, even pressure when rolling—the goal is to distribute butter evenly, not necessarily make the dough thin. If butter breaks through the dough, dust with flour and work gently.
Second lamination turn
- Remove the dough from the fridge with the open fold facing right (this helps you remember the direction).
- Roll it again into a 6 × 12 inch rectangle, using light pressure.
- Fold in thirds again (top down, bottom up).
- Wrap and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is folded into thirds and chilled
Tip: Rotate the dough each turn so the open fold faces a different direction to build even layers.
Third and final lamination turn
- Remove from the fridge and roll into a 6 × 12 inch rectangle one final time.
- Fold in thirds.
- Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is folded and cold
Tip: Three turns (not six like traditional croissants) is sufficient for a home baker and yields excellent layers.
Roll and cut croissant rectangles
- Remove the dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll it gently into a 12 × 16 inch rectangle, about ⅛ inch thick.
- Using a ruler and sharp knife (or pastry wheel), cut the dough into 12 rectangles, each approximately 4 inches wide × 2.5 inches tall.
- (You may need to trim edges for even cuts.) Place each rectangle on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
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Ready when: 12 evenly cut rectangles are placed on parchment
Tip: Use a sharp knife for clean cuts—a dull knife crushes the layers and prevents them from rising.
Fill with chocolate
- Working with one rectangle at a time, place two chocolate bars along the center lengthwise, leaving about ½ inch on each long side and slightly more space at the ends.
- Fold the dough over the chocolate bars so they are enclosed, then press the seams gently closed.
- Place seam-side down on the parchment.
- Repeat with all 12 rectangles.
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Ready when: All rectangles are folded and sealed
Tip: If chocolate bars are too thick to fold, place just one bar per croissant. Don't overfill or chocolate will leak during baking.
Final proof and egg wash
- Cover the baking sheets loosely with plastic wrap and let the shaped croissants rest and proof at room temperature (70–72°F / 21–22°C) for 1 hour to 1.5 hours, until they look slightly puffy and feel soft to the touch.
- They should spring back slowly when gently poked but not collapse completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg with 1 tablespoon water.
- Once proofed, brush the top of each croissant with egg wash, being gentle not to deflate them.
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Ready when: Croissants are puffy, soft, and spring back slowly when poked; egg wash is applied
Tip: Avoid over-proofing—they should look puffy but not excessively large or they won't rise much in the oven.
Bake the croissantsOven 400°F / 205°C
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes.
- Place both baking sheets in the oven (use both racks if necessary, rotating halfway through baking).
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the croissants are deep golden brown on top, with visible layers on the sides, and the chocolate is visibly starting to leak slightly from the seams.
- The croissants should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- If using two racks, rotate them top-to-bottom halfway through for even browning.
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Ready when: Croissants are deep golden brown, layered sides are visible, croissants sound hollow when tapped underneath
Tip: Don't underbake—pale croissants indicate insufficient caramelization and crisp. The deeper golden color ensures flaky, shattering layers.
Cool and serve
- Transfer the hot croissants to a wire cooling rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- The interior will continue to cook slightly as they cool.
- Eat while still warm or at room temperature.
- Chocolate will still be soft and warm inside.
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Ready when: Croissants are cool enough to handle and chocolate is partially set
Tip: These are best eaten the day they're baked. Stored croissants can be warmed in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–7 minutes to restore crispness.
Good to know
Tips
- Temperature is critical: keep the dough around 65–70°F (18–21°C) during lamination. If your kitchen is very warm, work quickly and return the dough to the fridge frequently. If it's cold, lamination may take longer.
- Invest in a good ruler and sharp knife or pastry wheel for cutting—clean cuts preserve layers and allow even rising.
- The chocolate bars expand slightly during baking; don't pack the rectangle too tightly or chocolate will force its way out and burn on the outside.
- If you're new to lamination, watch a video of the folding technique before starting. The three-fold (book fold) is the easiest to understand.
Make ahead
You can assemble this recipe over two days: make the dough and complete all three turns of lamination the first day, then refrigerate overnight. The next morning, shape, proof, and bake. Shaped croissants can be frozen on the baking sheet for up to 1 month, then baked directly from frozen, adding 3–5 minutes to the baking time.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature (up to 6 hours): Wrap cooled croissants in parchment and store in an airtight container. Refrigerator (2–3 days): Wrap individually in parchment and store in an airtight container. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5–7 minutes to restore crispness. Freezer (up to 1 month): Wrap cooled croissants individually in plastic wrap and foil, or store in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight at room temperature, then warm at 350°F (175°C) for 5–10 minutes. Do not microwave, as this will make them rubbery.
Substitutions
- dark chocolate bars (55–70% cocoa), each about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long → Milk chocolate bars or a mix of dark and milk chocolate. Milk chocolate will be sweeter; use the same weight. You can also use 6 ounces (170 g) of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in two small piles per croissant, though bars are traditional.
- bread flour → All-purpose flour. The dough will be slightly less chewy but still delicious. Use 2¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour instead, as it absorbs less liquid.
- whole milk, cold → Whole milk + 1 tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt, or 2% milk. Whole milk gives the best flavor and texture, but 2% milk works fine. Greek yogurt adds richness if using lower-fat milk.
- cold unsalted butter, in a single block → European-style butter (82–86% butterfat) for extra flavor. Use the same weight. Regular US butter (80% butterfat) works perfectly; European butter is optional but produces slightly richer croissants.
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