Eat & Drink
Originally published on Wednesday, 18th March 2009
Pain au Chocolat
Makes approximately 16 pain au chocolat
The moment of truth came when we finally put them in the oven. As we prepared the accompanying cafe au lait we swapped apprehensive glances. Would our domestic oven fail us and and the last 18 hours of mixing, laminating, folding, multiple risings and painstaking egg washes all be for nothing?
When our pain au chocolat emerged from the oven they was perfect - caramelised, flaky and oozing with chocolate. Happy and exhausted, we sat down to a breakfast feast. Licking the chocolate from our fingers and drinking our coffee from large, warm bowls - we beamed at each other. Another mother and daughter job well done.
Sponge
150 ml whole milk
1 tbsp dry yeast
175 grams flour
Dough
1 tbsp + 1 tsp dry yeast
425 ml whole milk
800 grams flour
70 grams caster sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
Laminating
450 grams unsalted butter, softened but still cool
Egg Wash
4 egg yolks
60 ml heavy cream
Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Filling
600 grams of good quality 70% cocoa dark chocolate, cut into squares approx 30-50 grams per square
Instructions
To make the sponge, warm the milk just to body temperature in a small saucepan. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast, whisking to combine. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then add the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to form a dough.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled in volume. Alternatively, cover with cling film and allow to rise overnight in the fridge.
When the sponge has risen, transfer it to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast and slowly pour in half of the milk with the mixer running on medium speed. Mix for a few minutes until the milk is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and even.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the remaining dough ingredients to the sponge. Mix for 3-4 minutes of until all the ingredients come together as a dough. Turn off the mixer and leave the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Turn the mixer on again at low speed and mix for a further 3-4 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too stiff and the mixer begins to labour, add a small splash of milk to help loosen it.
Cover the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel and place somewhere warm to rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until risen by about 50%.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle to about 2 inches of thickness. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to firm up for approximately 5 hours.
Create what is called a ‘butter block’ by allowing the butter to soften slightly. Place ithe butter between two double layers of parchment paper and using a rolling pin, tap the butter firmly several times to flatten it out. Using your rolling pin, gently roll the butter (with the parchment paper still in place) into the shape of a rectangle approximately 18 by 11 inches (equal to approximately two-thirds of the dough size when you roll it out for laminating). Place the rolled butter (still between the sheets of parchment) into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to help firm it up again. It is essential that your butter be very cold for the next step.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 28 by 12 inch rectangle. Carefully peel your butter block off the parchment and lay it on top so that it covers two-thirds of your dough rectangle, leaving one third empty. If the butter is very stiff, leave it for a minute or two to soften slightly - the butter should be flexible enough to be able to bend when folded.
Fold the uncovered third of dough across and over the centre and then fold the buttered third over the centre. With your fingers, push down across the top and the bottom of the dough to seal the butter into the dough.
Turn the dough one quarter turn and roll the dough into the same sized rectangle, 28 by 12 inches. Fold the right and then left thirds of the dough across the centre as you have just done and wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge, roll out again to a 28 by 12 rectangle and fold the dough into thirds as before. Rewrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 32 by 12 inches and just under ½ inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 by 4 inch rectangles. Place a piece of chocolate in the centre of each rectangle and starting from the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough carefully, encasing the chocolate in the centre.
Place the pastries on baking trays lined with parchment, leaving several inches between each pastry. Place the pastries in a warm (but not hot) spot to rise for 1-2 hours or until at least doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220 C. About 15 minutes before you are ready to bake the pastries, make the egg wash by whisking the ingredients together. Brush each pastry lightly with the mixture, being careful not to overdo it or drip excess onto the baking trays. Allow the wash to dry for 5 minutes before placing the pastries in the oven.
Place the pastries in the oven and reduce the temperature to 200 C. Bake the pastries for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking trays as necessary to ensure that they bake evenly. The pastries are ready when they are a deep golden colour and feel light when picked up.
Allow the pastries to cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then eat while warm. Pain au chocolat will last for approximately 3 days, and can be crisped up in the oven as required.
Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.
To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.
In collaboration with Eat Drink Talk