Pain Au Chocolat -

Pain Au Chocolat

Ingredients

250g/9oz/2¼ cups unbleached white bread flour
30ml/2 tbsp skimmed milk powder (non fat dry milk)
15ml/1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
2.5ml/½ tsp salt
7.5ml/1½ tsp easy-blend (rapid-rise) dried yeast
140g/5oz/⅔ cup butter, softened
125ml/4½fl oz/generous ½ cup hand hot water
225g/8oz plain (semisweet) chocolate, broken into pieces

For the glaze

1 egg yolk
15ml/1 tbsp milk

Details

Makes: 9

Method

1. Mix the flour, milk powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in the yeast and make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients. Melt 25g/1oz/2 tbsp of the butter and add it to the dry ingredients, pouring it into the well in the middle of the mixture. Pour in the water and then mix to form a firm dough.

2. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it thoroughly for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. When pressed on the surface it should spring back rather than retain the dent.

3. Dust the bowl with flour and return the dough to it. Cover with clear film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

4. Meanwhile shape the remaining softened butter into an oblong block, about 2cm/¾in thick.

5. Lightly grease two baking sheets. When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out on to a floured surface. Knock back (punch down) and shape into a ball. Cut a cross halfway through the top of the dough.

6. Roll out around the cross, leaving a risen centre. Place the butter in the centre. Fold the rolled dough over the butter to enclose; seal the edges.

7. Roll to a rectangle 2cm/¾in thick, twice as long as wide. Fold the bottom third up and the top down; seal the edges with a rolling pin. Wrap in lightly oiled clear film. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes.

8. Do the same again twice more, giving a quarter turn and chilling each time. Chill again for 30 minutes.

9. Roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring 52 x 30cm/21 x 12in. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into three strips lengthways and widthways to make nine 18 x 10cm/7 x 4in rectangles.

10. Divide the chocolate among the three dough rectangles, placing the pieces lengthways at one short end.

11. Mix the egg yolk and milk for the glaze together. Brush the mixture over the edges of the dough.

12. Roll up each piece of dough to completely enclose the chocolate, then press the edges together to seal.

13. Place the pastries seam side down on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

14. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Brush the pastries with the remaining glaze and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool just slightly and serve warm.

VARIATION:- Fill this flaky yeast pastry with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings. Try chopped nuts, tossed with a little brown sugar and cinnamon or, for a savoury filling, thin strips of cheese, wrapped in ham or mixed with chopped cooked bacon.

Energy 345Kcal/1441kj; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 39.3g of which sugars 17.9g; Fat 20.1g of which saturates 12.4g; Cholesterol 35mg; Calcium 51mg; Fibre 1.5g; Sodium 206mg

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