Pain au chocolat is a popular pastry served worldwide. It is a type of croissant made with puff pastry and filled with chocolate. The combination of the pastry’s flaky, buttery texture and the chocolate’s sweetness makes for an irresistible treat.

Brief History and Origin

The history behind pain au chocolat is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have first appeared in France in the 19th century. The origin of this delicious treat can be traced back to Viennese bakers, who began selling them in Paris in 1839.

Pain au chocolat – The Recipe

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Additional Time: 3 hrs
• Total time: 4 hr
• Servings: 9 pastries

Ingredients

• 60ml warm water
• 2 tbsp. nonfat dry milk
• 280g bread flour
• 2 tbsp. softened butter
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 125ml softened butter
• 1 ½ tsp. instant yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 224g semisweet chocolate chunks
• 200g chocolate candy bar, broken into pieces

Instructions

1. In a bread machine pan, pour water; then add the flour, sprinkle it with the milk powder, salt, sugar and 2 tbsp. of butter into the corners of the pan.
2. Make a small well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add yeast. Set the bread machine on the basic dough setting and run it.
3. Place 125ml butter on parchment paper and roll into a 3”x5” rectangle using a rolling pin, wrap it and transfer to the refrigerator until chill.
4. Take the butter out of the refrigerator, and set it aside. When the dough is ready, place it on the flour-dusted work surface and roll it into an 8”x12” rectangle; adjust the butter over half of the dough, leaving a ½” border on three sides. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter and firmly press the edges to seal.
5. Roll out the dough to a 6”x14” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds from the long ends, just like a business letter. Cover the dough loosely with Clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.
6. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Place it on a flour-dusted work surface, folded edge facing you. Roll the dough into a 6”x14” rectangle and fold it in thirds. Chill again for 20 minutes while covering with Cling film. Repeat the process and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7. Take out of the refrigerator and make a 12”x21” rectangle out of the dough and make 9 rectangles by cutting the dough into thirds in both directions. Divide and add the chocolate evenly between the rectangles.
8. Brush each piece lightly with the egg yolk mixture. Now roll each piece of dough like a cigar, beginning at the short end and moving toward the chocolate. Seal the edges by pressing them together.
9. Arrange the pastries on the baking sheet, cover them with greased cling film and place them in a warm place for 30 minutes or until double in volume. 
10. Prepare the oven and preheat it to 20 degrees C. When ready, brush the remaining egg yolk mixture on the pastries.
11. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove from oven, leave to cool for 5 minutes, then place on the wire rack for some time. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Popular variations

Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:

• Raspberry Pain au Chocolat: This mouthwatering pastry is loaded with chocolate hazelnut and all-fruit raspberry spread. This recipe is delicious, fun, and easy to make. Perfect for teatime and breakfast.
• Matcha. Chocolate. Mochi. Croissant.: Inspired by Pain Au Chocolat, this recipe has a buttery, flaky pastry with matcha mochi filling and a hint of chocolate for richness. We love the contrasting textures, chewiness of mochi and flakiness of a buttery croissant.
• Pain au Chocolat Loaf: Why make the Pain Au Chocolat separately when you can make that same taste and texture as a loaf? Yes, it has the buttery flakiness, the richness of the chocolate and the overall harmony.
• Baked Pain Au Chocolat Pudding: This pudding is inspired by the bold Christmas flavours but with the base of Pain Au Chocolat. Pain Au Chocolat is soaked in nutmeg-spiced vanilla custard with top with butter and crunchy caramelized cinnamon sugar.
• Pain au chocolat pudding with pears and peanut butter: This Pain Au Chocolat pudding recipe is spiced with pears and peanut butter. The juicy pears and peanut butter swirl bring out a new dimension of flavour and texture for the pudding.