recipes

Chocolate croissants

Notes from a few attempts at pain au chocolat using kouign-amann style laminated dough.

Rolling the dough out to full size is a fight - the dough warms up and fights back. Work quickly or rest it in the fridge if it resists.
Proofing: 2.5 hr proof then fridge (2 hr wasn’t enough). They wrinkled overnight in the oven - possible over-proofing.
Cutting 4 oz of chocolate into sticks: 16 sticks is more manageable than 20. Chocolate breaks a lot but it works out.
Baker’s chocolate works fine.
Egg yolk plus heavy cream makes a great glaze.
Butter block: Grating frozen butter (then pressing into shape) is a good way to make the butter block. It makes it easier to use cheaper American butter, which is harder to pound into a flat sheet without it cracking or smearing. This technique applies to any laminated dough.