Flaky Buttery Chocolate Croissants (Print version)

Flaky, buttery croissants enriched with bittersweet chocolate for a golden, crisp finish.

# What you'll need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

→ Butter Layer

07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold

→ Filling

08 - 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped or 8 chocolate batons

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tbsp milk

# How to make it:

01 - In a bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter. Mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth.
03 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
04 - Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment. Pound and roll into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Chill if soft.
05 - Roll dough on a floured surface into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Place butter slab on one half, fold over the other half, sealing edges.
06 - Roll dough gently into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Fold in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat rolling and folding (turning 90 degrees each time) two more times, chilling 30 minutes between folds.
08 - Roll dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangles. Place chocolate at one end of each rectangle. Roll tightly into a log, seam-side down. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
09 - Cover loosely and let rise at warm room temperature for 2 hours, until puffy.
10 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
11 - Beat egg with milk. Brush croissants with egg wash.
12 - Bake 18–20 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Cool slightly before serving.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • The buttery layers practically shatter when you bite into them
  • Nothing beats warm, melty chocolate oozing out of freshly baked pastry
  • Your kitchen will smell like a Parisian café on a Sunday morning
02 -
  • If butter starts melting into the dough at any point, stop and refrigerate immediately
  • The chilling steps are not optionalwarm butter won't create flaky layers
  • These are best eaten within a few hours, though they reheat surprisingly well
03 -
  • Work quickly when rolling to keep butter from softening
  • If dough springs back while rolling, let it rest for 5 minutes

Go back