Pains au Chocolat

Pains au Chocolat are my kind of treat: flaky, buttery dough concealing a piece of chocolate in the center.  They went over extremely well at my book club, especially with our leader, Isabelle, who hails from the Languedoc region of France.  She said they and the Pains aux Raisins (next post) were very authentic, and that the chocolate was perfect and not too sweet -- I used Valrhona Le Noir 61%.  Having no authenticity gauge myself and this being my first croissant, I was pleased to get such a ringing endorsement.  Plus, chocolate and buttery bread... what's not to like?

The recipe instructions may be long, but don't fret.  The dough-making was the laborious part, and all that's left is to roll it out and roll up the chocolate in it.  The proofing method is kind of bizarre, but was easy enough.  Updated note: I'm glad everyone likes the green cups, but they're espresso cups, not teacups -- just to give you an idea of how small the cups and pains actually are.

If your dough refuses to roll out and springs right back into place, let it rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so.  I hate doing that because I want to be done with a task pronto, but it won't behave otherwise.  In the end, my rectangle was still an inch short because of the springy dough, but what the hey.  The pains still looked good to me!

I got Sarabeth's Bakery as a Christmas gift, and these and the Pains aux Raisins are the first recipes I have tried from it.  I'm looking forward to trying more!

Pains au Chocolat
From Sarabeth Levine's Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours
Makes 12 pastries

Notes: Have a yardstick and pizza wheel at your side to help keep the cuts straight.  Always cut from top to bottom.  You will have better control over the wheel than if you cut from the bottom up. ~ While you can buy chocolate strips (bâtons) specifically for pains au chocolat at bakery suppliers or online, it is more convenient for the home baker to make his or her own from a standard 3½-ounce chocolate bar.  If the chocolate bar is too cold, it will snap into shards instead of cutting into strips.  Let the bar stand in a warm spot in the kitchen for about 30 minutes to soften slightly.  Even if the bar does shatter, it can still be used -- just keep track of the pieces and use an equal amount for each pain.

Unbleached all-purpose flour, for rolling the dough

½ recipe Croissant Dough

One 3½-ounce semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar, cut crosswise into 12 strips

1 large egg, well beaten with a hand blender

1. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.  Dust the work surface well with flour.  Place the dough on the work surface with the open seam of dough facing you.  Dust the top of the dough with flour.  Using a large, heavy rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle.  Don't press the dough too hard; let the weight of the pin do much of the work.  If you changed the position of the dough while rolling, it is important to keep track of which side contains the seam.  Using a yardstick and a pizza wheel, neatly trim the rough edges of the rectangle.  Fold the dough into thirds, place on the half-sheet pan, and refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes.
2. Unfold the dough onto the work surface.  Cut the dough horizontally into thirds and vertically into quarters to make 12 squares.  Place a chocolate strip about ¼ inch up from the bottom of a dough square.  Roll from the bottom up and place, seam side down, on the pan.  Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate, placing the pains 1½ inches apart.  Using a very sharp thin knife, make a 1-inch slit in the center of the pains, cutting just down to the chocolate.  Make two more 1-inch slits, ¾ inch on either side of the center slit.
3. Choose a warm place in the kitchen for proofing.  Slip the pan into a tall "kitchen-sized" plastic bag.  Place a tall glass of very hot water near the center of the pan.  Wave the opening of the bag to trap air and inflate it like a balloon to create "head room," being sure that the plastic does not touch the delicate dough.  Twist the bag closed.  Let stand until the pains au chocolat look puffy but not doubled, 1½ to 2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°.  Remove the glass from the bag, then the pan.  Lightly brush the pains with the beaten egg.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350° and continue baking until the pains are crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes longer.  Serve warm or at room temperature.