Pain au chocolat

To prepare the pain au chocolat, first pour the milk 1 and water into a bowl with the crumbled yeast 2, then mix to dissolve it completely 3.

Transfer the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook 4, then add the flour 5 and sugar 6.

Also add the salt 7 and work at low speed for 5 minutes 8; the dough should not be too tightly bonded 9.

Move to the work surface and form a smooth dough piece 10, then place it in the bowl 11 and cover with several layers of plastic wrap 12. Let it rise in the refrigerator overnight.

In the meantime, prepare the butter for the puff pastry: in the stand mixer fitted with a paddle, pour the flour 13 and softened butter 14, then mix until you get a homogeneous mixture 15; be careful not to overwork it.

Transfer the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper 16, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll it out with a rolling pin 17 to form a square of about 8x8 inches, with a thickness of about 0.4 inches 18. Place this in the refrigerator to rest as well.

The next morning, take the risen dough 19 and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to obtain a rectangular shape twice the length of the square 20. Place the square of butter in the center of the rectangle 21.

Fold the two side flaps inward 22 to completely cover the square of butter, making sure to align the edges of the dough exactly in the middle 23. Roll out the pastry again with the rolling pin in the direction of the folds, starting with small presses to avoid breaking the butter inside. You should get another rectangle 24.

At this point, proceed with a 3-fold by folding the side flaps towards the center and aligning them 25. With a sharp knife, score the long sides of the rectangle obtained 26. Transfer the pastry to a tray, cover with plastic wrap 27, and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After this time, take the dough and proceed with another 3-fold 28 29, then place on the tray 30 and let it rest for another 30 minutes in the refrigerator, always covered with plastic wrap. After this time, repeat the same operation for the third and final time, but the rest in the refrigerator will be about 1.5-2 hours.

After this time, the pastry will be well chilled, so roll it out with the rolling pin on a lightly floured surface 31: you should get a rectangle of about 12x16 inches, with a thickness of 0.2 inches. Use a wheel to divide the pastry into 8 equal rectangles measuring about 6x4 inches 32. Place 2 chocolate bars on each rectangle, positioning the first near the bottom edge and slightly spacing out the second 33.

Roll up the pastry rectangles to enclose the chocolate sticks inside 34, then place the rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, well spaced 35. Spray the surface with a little water 36 and let them rise at room temperature for about 3 hours. You can cover them with a baking sheet or place them in the turned-off oven with the light on, taking care to spray them with water occasionally if the surface starts to dry out.

After the rising time, pour the yolk, egg, cream, and salt into a small bowl 37, mix everything 38, and brush the pain au chocolat twice 39.

Bake in a preheated convection oven at 356°F for about 6 minutes, then insert a ball of foil into the door to keep it slightly open and continue baking for another 12 minutes 40. When they are beautifully golden and fragrant, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly 41. Your pain au chocolat is ready to be enjoyed 42!