Easy French Pain au Chocolat

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/26/22
Pain au chocolat

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 3 hrs
Cook: 15 mins
Rising Time: 3 hrs 10 mins
Total: 6 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
480 Calories
31g Fat
42g Carbs
10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 480
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 19g 94%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 405mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 258mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Pain au chocolat, which means "bread with chocolate," is one of the best-known French pastries. Just the mention of the name conjures up French breakfast with fresh coffee and pastries, warm from the oven, with delicious melted chocolate. 

This recipe may look daunting, but be assured, it isn't. There are simple steps, and the dough has to rest a lot, so the time at the counter is much less than you think. Do try them fresh and warm from the oven. 

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons instant dried yeast

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water

  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  • 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make pain au chocolat

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water for 5 minutes.

    A bowl of yeast in lukewarm water

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Add the bread flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, and salt to the dissolved yeast and water, and mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time, until the dough is just firm enough to shape without sticking. 

    A ball of dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Form dough into a ball and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

    A ball of dough in the bowl of a stand mixer covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Roll the dough into a 10- x 15-inch rectangle.

    A large rectangle of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Cover it loosely and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.

    A rectangle of dough covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  7. Brush the rectangle with the softened butter and then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.

    A rectangular piece of dough topped with butter, folded into thirds

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  8. Roll the long, thin rectangle back into the original 10 x 15-inch shape.

    A large rectangular piece of dough on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  9. Fold the dough into thirds, again, and then cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

    A folded rectangular piece of dough covered in plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  10. Repeat this process one more time.

    A long, folded, rectangular piece of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  11. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 12 rectangles.

    A piece of dough cut into 12 smaller rectangles

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  12. Arrange 2 teaspoons of chopped chocolate across one of the short ends of the rectangle.

    A small piece of rectangular dough with chopped chocolate on the bottom third

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  13. Fold that third of the dough over the chocolate, toward the center.

    A piece of rectangular dough with the bottom third of the dough folded up over the chopped chocolate

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  14. Repeat the process on the opposite side of the dough, folding it over and tucking the end under to create a cylindrical shape.

    A cylindrical piece of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  15. Arrange each finished pain au chocolat on a lightly greased baking sheet with at least 1 1/2 inches between each pastry.

    The cylindrical, folded pieces of dough on a baking sheert

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  16. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until almost doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

    A baking sheet of cylindrical dough covered in plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  17. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons milk together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash across the surface of each pastry.

    A baking sheet of egg washed pieces of dough

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  18. Bake the pain au chocolat for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown.

    A baking sheet of baked pain au chocolats

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • Make the dough the night before and put it in the refrigerator to be used the next day. Learn how to properly retard the dough.


How to Store and Freeze

  • They're best consumed the same day they're baked, as we're partial to them fresh out of the oven. However, these pastries can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days in an airtight container.
  • The good news is you can freeze baked French pain au pastries. Let them thaw out at room temperature and then enjoy.