Chocolatine Recipe

Mix and knead

Combine flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. In a separate container whisk together milk and cold water. Add the instant yeast to the liquid and let sit 1 minute. With the mixer on low, slowly add the liquid to the flour until a shaggy dough forms. Add the 50 g softened butter and continue mixing on medium-low for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky but not sticky. Dough temperature should be around 24–26°C (75–79°F).

First rest

Shape the dough into a rectangle, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes to relax the gluten. This makes laminating easier.

Prepare butter block

While the dough rests, place the 250 g cold butter between two sheets of parchment. Using a rolling pin, pound and roll the butter into an even square about 18 x 18 cm and roughly 1–1.2 cm thick. Chill in the refrigerator until firm but pliable (about 15–20 minutes). The butter should be about the same consistency as the chilled dough.

Enclose butter

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 30 x 20 cm. Place the butter block centered on the lower two-thirds of the dough. Fold the top third of dough over the butter, then fold the bottom third up so the butter is fully enclosed (letter fold). Seal the edges by pressing gently.

First fold (book fold)

Roll the enclosed dough to a rectangle about 45 x 25 cm, keeping even thickness. Dust off excess flour. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (single turn). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Second fold (book fold)

Rotate the dough 90 degrees, roll again to about 45 x 25 cm, and fold into thirds the same way. Wrap and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Third fold (final turn)

Repeat the rolling and one final fold (third single turn). After the final fold, wrap the dough and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. You should have completed 3 single turns (equivalent to 6 folds in some recipes) producing visible layers of butter and dough.

Roll out and portion

Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the chilled laminated dough into a rectangle approximately 40 x 30 cm and about 3–4 mm thick. Trim edges for neatness. Cut the rectangle into 24 pieces, each roughly 10 x 7.5 cm (so you get 24 chocolatines). Keep pieces covered to prevent drying.

Fill and roll

Place a chocolate baton or 1–2 sticks of dark chocolate near one short edge of each pastry rectangle. Fold the short edge over the chocolate and roll once toward the opposite edge to form a tight seam on the bottom. Place each formed chocolatine seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing about 2–3 cm apart. Repeat for all pieces.

Proof

Cover the shaped chocolatines loosely with lightly oiled plastic or a damp towel and proof in a warm, humid spot (ideally 26–28°C / 79–82°F) for 60–90 minutes, until visibly puffy but not doubled. If your kitchen is cool, proofing will take longer (up to 2 hours).

Egg wash and score

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) with the rack in the middle. Whisk the egg with 15 ml milk to make an egg wash and strain. Gently brush the tops of the proofed chocolatines without deflating them. Optionally, lightly score two shallow parallel slashes across the top lengthwise to help expansion. Sprinkle coarse sugar if desired.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 12–16 minutes until deep golden brown and puffed. Rotate the sheet halfway through if your oven runs unevenly. The internal temperature (if measured) should be about 92–95°C (198–203°F) when done.

Cool

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow chocolatines to cool for 10–15 minutes before serving so the chocolate center firms slightly but remains warm.