Chocolate Croissants (Print Version)
Flaky buttery croissants filled with rich chocolate, perfect for breakfast or special treats.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
→ Butter Layer
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
→ Filling
08 - 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped or 8 chocolate batons
→ Egg Wash
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk
# How-To Steps:
01 - Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter to yeast mixture. Mix until rough dough forms. Knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth.
03 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
04 - Place cold butter between parchment sheets. Pound and roll into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Chill if soft.
05 - Roll dough on floured surface into 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Place butter slab on one half, fold over other half, sealing edges.
06 - Roll dough into 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Fold in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat rolling and folding two more times, turning 90 degrees each time. Chill 30 minutes between folds.
08 - Roll dough into 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangles. Place chocolate at one end of each rectangle. Roll tightly into log, seam-side down.
09 - Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise at warm room temperature for 2 hours until puffy.
10 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
11 - Beat egg with milk. Brush croissants with egg wash.
12 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Cool slightly before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The moment you break one warm from the oven and chocolate spills onto your fingers makes every hour of folding worth it
- Homemade croissants taste completely different from bakery versions with an incredible freshness that store bought cannot match
02 -
- Warm butter ruins everything so keep checking that your dough stays cold throughout the process
- Those resting periods in the refrigerator are not optional they relax the gluten making rolling possible
03 -
- A ruler helps create even rectangles which leads to uniform croissant sizes
- Rotate your dough 90 degrees between each fold to develop even layers in every direction