Pain au Chocolat
Same dough, two sticks of good dark chocolate rolled inside each. The shape is a rectangle, not a crescent. The soul is the same.
Day-old croissants filled with frangipane, topped with flaked almonds and icing sugar. The correct use of a croissant that didn't sell.
Day 1 - Detrempe: Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast. Add milk and mix to a shaggy dough. Knead 5 minutes — not smooth yet is fine. Shape into a rectangle, wrap, refrigerate overnight.
Day 1 - Beurrage: Beat cold butter between baking paper into a 19x19cm square. Refrigerate.
Day 2 - First lamination: Roll detrempe into a rectangle twice the size of the butter block. Wrap butter in dough, seal edges. Roll out to a long rectangle. Fold in thirds (letter fold). Wrap, refrigerate 30 min.
Repeat letter fold 2 more times, refrigerating 30 min between each. This creates 27 layers.
Final day: Roll dough to 4mm thick. Cut into tall isoceles triangles. Roll each from base to tip tightly. Curve into crescent shape.
Proof at 24-26C (no hotter) for 2-3 hours until visibly puffed and jiggly.
Egg wash twice. Bake 190C for 18-20 minutes until deep mahogany brown.
Same dough, two sticks of good dark chocolate rolled inside each. The shape is a rectangle, not a crescent. The soul is the same.
3-day laminated dough project. 27 layers of butter and dough. Honeycomb crumb. The most technically satisfying bake I know.
Buttery sweet shortcrust shell filled with silky lemon curd. Sharp, bright, and not too sweet. The tart that I made for my pastry school final.
Add 200g dark chocolate chips. Swirl 2 tbsp cocoa in the batter before the final fold. The brown butter keeps it from being cloying.