Classic Pain au Chocolat

Name: Classic Pain au Chocolat
Prep time: 1 h 50 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 cups (500 g) bread flour, plus extra for dusting; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt; 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast; ⅔ cup (160 ml) whole milk, cold; ½ cup (120 ml) water, cold; 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1⅛ cups (250 g) unsalted European-style butter (82% fat), cold, straight from the fridge; 6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate batons (60-70% cocoa), 24 batons, about 7 g and 3 inches (7-8 cm) long each; 1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten until smooth; 1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk, for the egg wash

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Flaky, deeply golden French breakfast pastries made from a yeasted dough laminated with cold butter and wrapped around two batons of dark chocolate. It takes a day, but most of that is hands-off chilling and proofing.

Prep: 1 hr 50 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 4 hr 50 min
Total: 7 hr
Makes: 12 pastries

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the dough
4 cups (500 g) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
⅔ cup (160 ml) whole milk, cold
½ cup (120 ml) water, cold
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
For the butter block
1⅛ cups (250 g) unsalted European-style butter (82% fat), cold, straight from the fridge
For filling and glaze
6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate batons (60-70% cocoa), 24 batons, about 7 g and 3 inches (7-8 cm) long each
1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten until smooth
1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk, for the egg wash

Equipment (10)

Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
Long rolling pin
Digital kitchen scale
Ruler or tape measure
Sharp knife or pizza cutter
2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18 inch / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Plastic wrap
Pastry brush
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Read the whole recipe first. The dough must stay cold and the butter must stay pliable, so plan for a cool kitchen (ideally under 72°F / 22°C) and about 7 hours in total.
Use European-style butter (82% or higher fat) for the butter block. It is more pliable when cold and gives a cleaner lamination.
Make sure the fridge has room for a baking sheet or two on a flat shelf.
Chocolate batons are sold for this purpose. If you can't find them, cut a good 60-70% dark chocolate bar into 3-inch (7-8 cm) sticks about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick, about 7 g each.
You can chill the dough overnight after step 2 or after step 7 to split the work over two days.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk the bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Add the cold milk, cold water and softened butter.
- Mix with the dough hook on low for 3 minutes, then medium for 3 minutes (or stir and knead by hand for 8 minutes), until a smooth, slightly tacky dough forms that pulls away from the bowl.
- Do not over-knead; laminated dough should be supple, not elastic.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, soft and holds together in a ball without sticking heavily to your hands.
Tip: If the dough feels very stiff, add 1 tablespoon of cold water; if it sticks badly, dust with 1 tablespoon of flour.
2
Chill the dough
- Shape the dough into a flat 8-inch (20 cm) square on a floured surface, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
- The dough will puff slightly, which is fine.
- Shape the butter block (next step) while it chills.
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Ready when: Dough is firm and cold throughout.
Tip: You can leave it in the fridge up to 12 hours if you want to continue the next day.
3
Shape the butter block
- Place the cold butter block between two sheets of parchment.
- Pound with the rolling pin to flatten, then roll into an even 6-inch (15 cm) square about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick, squaring the edges by folding the parchment around it like an envelope.
- Refrigerate while the dough finishes chilling, at least 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Butter is a uniform square, cold but bends slightly without cracking or feeling greasy.
Tip: If the butter cracks into shards, let it sit for 5 minutes and pound again. It should be the same firmness as the dough when you use it.
4
Lock in the butter
- On a lightly floured surface roll the chilled dough into an 8×13-inch (20×33 cm) rectangle with a short edge toward you.
- Place the butter square in the center so there is about 3½ inches (9 cm) of dough above and below it, and 1 inch (2.5 cm) at each side.
- Fold the top and bottom flaps over the butter so they meet in the middle, and pinch the seam and side edges firmly closed so no butter can escape.
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Ready when: Butter is fully enclosed, with sealed seams and no gaps.
Tip: Brush off excess flour from the dough as you fold, since trapped flour makes layers dry.
5
First fold
- Turn the package so the seam faces away from you.
- Roll it firmly and evenly into an 8×24-inch (20×60 cm) rectangle, about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick.
- Brush off excess flour.
- Fold the bottom third up and the top third down over it like a business letter, forming an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square.
- Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough rolls out with an even butter layer visible through the surface, with no butter breaking through.
Tip: If butter starts to soften or leak, stop and chill the dough for 15 minutes before continuing.
6
Second fold
- Unwrap the dough and place it with the folded seam to your right, like a closed book.
- Roll again into an 8×24-inch (20×60 cm) rectangle, brush off flour, and fold into thirds once more.
- Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough feels smooth and cool, and layers are even.
Tip: Keep the corners square by gently tugging them into place as you roll.
7
Third fold
- Roll the dough one last time into an 8×24-inch (20×60 cm) rectangle, brushing off excess flour, and fold into thirds.
- Wrap tightly and chill for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours overnight).
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Ready when: Dough is firm and cold, with a smooth surface.
Tip: Mark each turn by pressing fingertips into the dough corner if you lose track of folds.
8
Roll and cut
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12×24-inch (30×60 cm) rectangle about ⅕ inch (5 mm) thick.
- If it springs back, rest it for 5 minutes, then keep rolling.
- Trim the edges about ½ inch (1 cm) with a sharp knife or pizza cutter for clean layers.
- Cut 3 rows across the 12-inch width by 4 rows along the 24-inch length to make 12 rectangles, each about 4×6 inches (10×15 cm).
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Ready when: Even sheet of dough with layers visible at the cut edges, and 12 matching rectangles.
Tip: Cut with straight downward strokes, don't drag the blade, since dragging seals the layers together and limits rise.
9
Fill and shape
- Position a rectangle with a short edge toward you.
- Lay one chocolate baton about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the near edge and fold that edge over it.
- Place a second baton right against the fold and roll the dough up all the way, finishing with the seam on the bottom.
- Place on the lined baking sheet, seam side down, spacing them 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart.
- Repeat with remaining rectangles and 24 batons total.
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Ready when: Each pastry is a snug roll with 2 batons hidden inside and a seam on the underside.
Tip: If the dough turns soft or greasy while shaping, slide the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes.
10
Proof the pastries
- Loosely cover the pastries with oiled plastic wrap or a large inverted container and proof at 75-78°F (24-26°C) for about 2 hours.
- Don't go above 80°F (27°C) or the butter will melt out.
- In the final 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
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Ready when: Pastries are visibly puffy, about 1½ times their size, and jiggle slightly when the tray is nudged, with visible layers.
Tip: Underproofed pastries leak butter and are dense; if unsure, give them an extra 15 minutes.
11
Egg wash and bakeOven 400°F / 205°C
- Whisk the egg and milk together and gently brush the tops and sides of each pastry, avoiding the cut layers.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the trays top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until deep golden brown.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown all over, puffed high, and the layers sound crisp when tapped.
Tip: If the pastries brown too fast before 15 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake a few minutes longer.
12
Cool and serve
- Slide the parchment with the pastries onto a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
- The chocolate will be molten when first baked, so wait before serving.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Pastries are warm, not hot, and the bottoms feel crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Temperature is everything: if butter feels soft or greasy at any stage, stop and chill the dough 15 to 20 minutes.
Use as little flour as possible when rolling and brush it off before every fold so the layers stay distinct.
Always roll with firm, even strokes from the center outward, keeping the rectangle's edges straight.
A scale gives the best results, since lamination depends on the butter-to-dough ratio.

Make ahead

"After step 3 of the folds, the dough can be refrigerated overnight (up to 12 hours). Shaped, unproofed pastries can be frozen on a tray, then bagged for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight, then proof 2 to 2½ hours before baking."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: best the day they're baked; keep loosely covered up to 2 days. Fridge: store airtight up to 3 days. Freezer: wrap baked pastries airtight up to 2 months. To reheat, warm on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes (from frozen, 10 to 12 minutes) until crisp and warmed through."

Substitutions

bread flour → all-purpose flour. Works well; the pastry will be slightly softer and less chewy. Add about 1 tbsp less liquid if the dough feels too slack.
unsalted European-style butter (82% fat) → standard unsalted butter (80% fat). Works but is softer and wetter; chill longer between turns and handle quickly.
dark chocolate batons (60-70% cocoa) → chopped dark chocolate bar. Cut 60-70% dark chocolate into sticks of similar size, about 7 g each.
instant yeast → active dry yeast. Use 9 g (2¾ tsp) and dissolve it in the warmed (not hot) portion of the milk for 5 minutes before mixing.