When you walk into your local bakery or patisserie, few sights are as welcoming and tempting as Chocolate Croissants. Now, you can enjoy the freshest, flakiest, richest Chocolate Croissants from the comfort of your own home. Layered with butter and filled with decadent chocolate, these pastries are a marvel whether you serve them for breakfast, tea time, or even as a dessert!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons plus 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, divided, plus more, to taste, for dusting the work surfaces
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, cold, divided
- 1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 large egg
- confectioners’ sugar, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 -Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into fourths and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
Step 2 -Add the 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, the salt, and the yeast to the bowl.
Step 3 -Turn the mixer on low-medium speed to lightly combine the ingredients for about 1 minute.
Step 4 -As the mixer is running, slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups of the milk.
Step 5 -When the milk is completely added, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft.
Step 6 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a baking sheet.
Step 7 -Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and work it into a ball.
Step 8 -Lightly flatten out the dough, and cover it with plastic wrap or foil.
Step 9 -Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 10 -Transfer the dough from the refrigerator.
Step 11 -Flatten the dough by rolling it into a rectangle about 14×10-inches.
Step 12 -Put the dough back on the floured baking sheet.
Step 13 -Cover the dough with plastic wrap or foil and return the baking sheet to the refrigerator.
Step 14 -Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Step 15 -In a bowl using a hand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment, add the remaining 3 sticks of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour together until smooth and mixed.
Step 16 -Move the butter-flour mixture to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet or a silicone mat.
Step 17 -Smooth out the butter-flour mixture into a 7×10 rectangle.
Step 18 -Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the butter-flour mixture for at least 30 minutes.
Step 19 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a clean work surface, then roll out the dough on the prepared surface.
Step 20 -Transfer both the dough and the butter-flour mixture from the refrigerator.
Step 21 -Put the butter-flour mixture on top of the center of the dough
Step 22 -Fold each end of the dough over and seal the dough edges over the butter-flour mixture using your fingers.
Step 23 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a clean work surface, then place the dough on the prepared surface. Roll the dough to a 10×20-inch rectangle. Place the dough back into the refrigerator if it starts to get too soft; the butter needs to remain as cold as possible.
Step 24 -Position the dough so one of the shorter ends is facing you.
Step 25 -Roll the dough again into a 10×20-inch rectangle.
Step 26 -Fold the dough lengthwise into thirds, like a tri-fold letter.
Step 27 -Put the folded dough on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Step 28 -Repeat the process again of rolling the dough out into a 10×20-inch rectangle and then folding the dough in thirds. This process, called laminating, creates the flaky buttery layers of the pastry.
Step 29 -Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Step 30 -Transfer the dough from the refrigerator.
Step 31 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a clean work surface, then place the dough on the prepared surface. Roll the dough into an 8×20-inch rectangle.
Step 32 -Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough in half vertically. Each rectangle should be about 4 inches wide.
Step 33 -Cut 4 even slices horizontally, resulting in eight 4×5-inch rectangles.
Step 34 -Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise so you have sixteen 2×5-inch rectangles.
Step 35 -One rectangle at a time, use your fingers to stretch each rectangle out to be about 8-inches long. Do this lightly as you do not want to flatten the layers.
Step 36 -Put a few small pieces of the chocolate on the short end of the rectangle.
Step 37 -Roll the dough around the chocolate pieces, ensuring the seam is on the bottom.
Step 38 -Repeat this with the remaining dough and the remaining chocolate, placing the croissants evenly on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets.
Step 39 -Cover the croissants with plastic wrap or foil and let them rest at room temp for 1 hour.
Step 40 -Put the croissants in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
Step 41 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 42 -Mix the egg and the remaining milk together to make an egg wash.
Step 43 -Transfer the croissants from the refrigerator and brush each with the egg wash.
Step 44 -Bake until the croissants are a golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Turn the pans halfway through. If the croissants are darkening too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Step 45 -Transfer the chocolate croissants from the oven and place them on a rack to cool for a few minutes. They will slightly deflate as they cool.
Step 46 -Dust each croissant with the confectioners’ sugar.
Step 47 -Serve!
