Croissants et Pain au Chocolat. I made it!

I haven’t forgotten about this month challenge. I know that in some time zones I’m a few minutes late. These last weeks I have been crazy busy, but in a good way. I’ve been working on my catering business and that kind of busy is the best, don’t you think?

Well, without further ado, here are the pics of my croissants and Pain au chocolat. The recipe is very simple, but they take a lot of work. And these are easy to make, there are others that take up to 3 days… I only needed 6 hours or so and I was able to make a lot of other things in between waiting times.

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Ingredients

• 500 g flour
• 70 g sugar
• 10 g salt
• 20 g baker’s yeast (fresh yeast)
• 50 g butter soft
• 240 g water or milk (250 ml)

For layering

• 200 g butter cold

For the pain au chocolat

• Chocolate sticks

Directions

I used my kitchen aid with the hook attachment. In the bowl of you mixer, place all the ingredients in that order and not in the middle of the bowl. You want to place the flour in the center and the rest of the ingredients to the sides. Beat, first at low speed and then turn it up and work for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth.

Place it over the counter and work with your hands for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Form a bowl and make a cross with a knife. That is called Pointage. Allow the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes in a warm place.

After that time you will roll it forming a rectangle. Don’t add to much flour, it isn’t really necessary.

Now we are going to put in the fridge (or freezer) for 1 hour at least. Meanwhile, let’s work the cold butter that goes inside. You need to roll it until it forms a rectangle or a square that will fits perfectly over your dough. A nice trick is to wrap it in baking paper and fold this into the right size, then you just need to roll your butter and it will have the perfect size.

Take the dough out of the fridge and place it over your working surface, roll it until it is twice longer than wide.

Place the butter in the center and fold once. Then fold again like a book. Turn the dough 90º to the left, keeping it perpendicular to you.

Roll the dough until it forms a rectangle four times longer than wide.

Fold again to the center and then again like a book. Turn it 90º to the left and roll again. Place it in the fridge again for 1 to 2 hours and then roll it again until very thin (3 mm approx.) you will need a lot of strength and patience.

Now cut strips of about 20 cm long and cut the triangles to make the croissants.

Make a small cut in the base of the triangle and pull the top to form a sort of Tour Eiffel. Then form the croissant, starting in the base of the triangle.

Place the croissant in a baking tray and, depending on which recipe you are following, now you can bathe then in a mixture of milk and sugar and then allow then to rise for about to 3 hours. Or you can allow them to rise first and then bathe them with sweet milk or beaten egg.

For the pain au chocolat. Cut another rectangle. Place your chocolate stick in a double line over the dough and then roll it and cut the size you want. Allow to rise and apply the bathe.

Bake at 180 ºC (350 ºF) for 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on then, because the time will depends on your oven.

Well, I hope you enjoy and thanks a lot for participate. Especially to Chef Angeliqueca and Rumtumtiggs… (Tami Magnin). They made a wonderful job and… on time! And, of course, thanks to Tandy. The mind behind all this.

P.S.: No time for editing tonight, maybe tomorrow, plus the photographs were taken with my cellphone…

Enjoy!