DOUGH for classic PAIN au CHOCOLAT

INGREDIENTS x 8 CHOCOLATE

PREPARATION

Gather all the "Solids" in the mixer bowl and start it on low speed with the hook.

Slowly pour in the "Liquids" and continue to work for about ten minutes, switching to medium-high speed and cleaning the sides of the bowl from time to time and with the machine stopped, using a spatula and returning the dough to the centre.

In the meantime form a rectangle with the margarine, bringing it to a thickness of about 1cm. It doesn't need to be an extremely precise rectangle, just that the thickness is uniform. If you are using a NON-professional margarine or the room temperature is particularly high, it may be helpful to leave the margarine in the freezer for 3/4 minutes.

Transfer the dough to the table, and using the rice starch as a dusting, create a narrow and long rectangle, sufficient to insert the "stick" of margarine and to cover it. It is the classic way to collect the fatty part in a dough for puff pastry or croissants.

Give two rounds of three to a thickness of 7/8mm, without pausing between one round and the next and trying not to use too much rice starch as a dusting, and in this case be careful to brush off the excess. If you have any doubts about how to do this, you can watch our video on the Angel Food YouTube channel, or any other video regarding the lamination of puff pastry dough.

Roll out a rectangle with the long side of max 56/58cm, but this time at a thickness of 5/6mm. Cut out 8 rectangles with a 7cm short side, thus obtaining a total of 8 "stripes" with which to make the bundles.

Do not throw away any scraps of dough, but divide them in the center of each chocolatine before rolling it up.

Place in the center two sticks of dark chocolate for each bundle, or the equivalent in chocolate drops or obtained from a bar of chocolate, sprinkle lightly with water and roll up the bundle loosely, but rather leaving it rather "soft". This will allow the product to develop better during leavening and subsequent cooking.

Cover with a bag previously brushed with oil or non-stick spray and leave to rise at a temperature of 42°C for approximately 90 minutes, or at least until the volume has tripled.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, remove the pan from the bag and bake for around 23 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave to cool on a rack, and once cold, move to the freezer. Pain au chocolat can be kept at room temperature for about three days.

NOTE

It is possible to decorate the surface of the product as desired, for example by adding granulated sugar, sunflower seeds, etc. You can find dozens of examples on our Instagram or Facebook profile.

To make the seeds adhere and further accentuate the browning of the product at the end of cooking, it is possible to brush the surface with milk (normal or delactosate), or with vegetable milk (rice, almond, etc.), or even just with water. In the latter case the browning will be less accentuated, but the seeds will still adhere thanks to the caramelisation of the sugars on the surface.

It is possible to increase or decrease the quantity of margarine required for lamination, by 20%: by increasing the quantity of fat, the final product will be richer, but also heavier. By decreasing the quantity, the product will be lighter but also more "bready" and less flaky.

This recipe is not suitable for using butter for flaking. If you want to give a strong butter aroma to the product, there are three solutions: A) Use a margarine with anhydrous butter (max 15%). B) Brush the surface of the product with melted butter as soon as it is out of the oven. C) Replace recipe oil with same weight of liquid ghee.