Pains au chocolat

When I was little my family spent every summer in the South of France and my dad went every morning for fresh baguette and croissants, and sometimes for pains au chocolat, those little pastries filled with chocolate. Whenever I make these, I'm reminded of carefree summers, sun and swimming. 

The following version is made with a yeast dough, which is quite easy to prepare. You could also use the same pastry dough as for croissants, a recipe for which will follow soon! 

You could prepare the dough the evening before and let it rise overnight, saving you time in the morning! 

Ingredients:

• 9 oz. (250g) wheat flour
• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 8 rips of semisweet chocolate
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup milk and water mixture
• milk

and for the glaze a mixture of 2 tbsp. milk with 1 generous tsp. of sugar


Preheat the oven to 430°F (200°C)
Dissolve the yeast in the milk-water mixture and combine with the flour and salt to soft dough. 
Knead the dough for some minutes, with a mixer or by hand, then place it in a bowl, cover with clingfoil and let it rise at a warm spot until it has doubled in size (or overnight). 
Punch it down and knead it lightly once more. Divide the dough in 8 equal parts. 
Roll the pieces on a floured surface to rectangles (or something resembling a rectangle).

Place a rip of chocolate onto each rectangle, fold to small packages and tuck in the edges. 
Brush with milk, place on a floured baking sheet and set aside for 20 minutes. 

Bake for 20 minutes until lightly brown.  
Dissolve the sugar in the milk and brush the rolls with this mixture as soon as they come out of the oven. 
They are best served warm!


Makes eight pains.