Chocolate Croissants

One of the things I miss most about living in Europe is the bread.  It seemed no matter what  country I traveled to their bread was fresh and amazing. The first time I had a chocolate croissant I knew I had eaten something I would love forever.  Chocolate in the middle of a flaky fresh croissant, you can't beat it.  I thought it was time to attempt to make these myself, although it's a timely process, it's well worth it.

To make the dough, whisk 2 3/4 cups of flour with the yeast sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the milk to a separate bowl and mix in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed.  If you have a kitchen aid mixer you can use this, I used beaters until it became to sticky.  Beat together until the dough comes together.

Add the pieces of butter and continue kneading until the butter is completely incorporated.  The dough will be pretty sticky, but will form a ball.  If it's too sticky add additional flour one tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Wrap and refrigerate for an hour.  While that's sitting make the butter square.

Place the pieces of butter on our work surface and sprinkle flour on top of them.  Use a bench scraper to smear the mixture back and forth against the work surface.  I ended up just using my hands because I thought it was easier, although pretty messy!

Continue until the mixture is uniform and smooth.  Gather in a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 7 inch square.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  I will admit, I'm not an expert in shaping dough or butter into perfect squares, so I did rough estimates and it turned out just fine.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Roll into a 11 inch square (again, used a rough estimate) lifting and turning as you go to make sure the dough isn't sticking.  That step is key since the dough sticks pretty easily, so make sure you're constantly flouring, lifting and turning.

Place the butter square in the middle of the dough.  Lift each of the four corners of the dough up and over the butter square.  If they don't meet in the middle perfectly that's ok, just pinch them together so it's sealed completely. 

Using a rolling pin, starting in the center and going outward, roll over the dough until the square gets larger and larger.  Roll the dough into a 14 inch square, flouring the work surface as needed.  Then fold one side of the dough to the center and bring the other side up and over it.

Complete a second turn by folding the top half of the dough to the center, and bringing the bottom up over it.  Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for two hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the dough on a lightly flour work surface, and roll it into a square. 

Cut the dough into four equal 10 inch pieces.

Then cut each of the four pieces into three even sections, so you'll have 12 rectangles.

Add about one tablespoon of chopped chocolate to the center of each rectangle.

Fold the top of the rectangle over the chocolate to the center.

Then lift the bottom up and over it.  Folding it like a business letter.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, seam side down.  Loosely cover the croissant with plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.  While they're rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Brush the croissants with the egg wash and bake for around 18 minutes until they're golden brown.

I made half of these with chocolate, which were delicious, and half without for C.  Both tasted amazing, very soft and buttery, and what more can you ask of a croissant?!

Chocolate Croissants

Makes 12

Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Dough

3 cups flour, extra for rolling

1 tablespoons instant yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Butter Square

3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons flour

8z bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Whisk together 2 3/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Add milk to a separate bowl or a bowl fitted with a stand mixer.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low, until the dough comes together.

Add the pieces of butter and continue kneading until the butter's incorporated.

If the dough is too sticky, add additional flour.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap.

Wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

To make the butter square, place the pieces of butter on your work surface.

Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter.

Using a bench scraper or your hands, smear the butter and flour back and forth against the surface.

Continue until the mixture if uniform and smooth.

Gather the butter in a piece of plastic and shape into a 7 inch square.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Roll into an 11 inch square, lifting and turning as you go.

Place the chilled butter square diagonally in the center of the dough.

Lift each of the four corners of the dough up and over the butter square.

Pinch together to seal completely.

Using your rolling pin, start at the center and roll outward.

Roll the dough into a 14 inch square.

Fold one side of the dough to the center and then bring the other side up and over it. 

Complete the second turn by folding the top half of the dough down to the center and bringing the bottom up and over it.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for two hours.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the dough on a flour surface and roll into a 20 inch square. 
Cut the dough in four equal pieces.
Cut each of those squares into three rectangles., for a total of 12.
Add about one tablespoon of chopped chocolate to the center of each rectangle.
Fold the top of the rectangle over the chocolate and to the center.
Then lift the bottom up and over it.
Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, seem side down.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush the croissants with the egg wash.
Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown on top.
They're best served warm, but will keep for a few days it tightly wrapped.