Chocolate Croissants

1. Place the sponge milk, water, yeast and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix until the sponge breaks up. 

2. Add the flour and salt and start mixing with the dough hook. 

3. Add the butter and continue mixing on medium speed for about 8 minutes, or until the dough shows a strong window pane. 

4. Cover and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour at room temperature.

5. Fold a quarter sheet piece of parchment paper in half. Place your butter between the two halves and beat down with a rolling pin into a rectangle until you get a rectangle that measures 4 3/4" by 6". The butter should remain cold yet pliable. 

6. Lightly flour your work table. After the croissant dough has risen for one hour, shape it out into a rectangle measuring 8"x12". Place on a parchment-paper lined half sheet, cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

7. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface once more and place the butter block in the dead center of the dough. Fold each side of the dough towards the center to cover the butter block. Give the dough a quarter turn so that the seam in the center goes from left to right and make sure to pinch the seams just enough to encase the butter fully.

8. Roll this dough out into a rectangle about 30% bigger than its original size, making sure that it is three times as wide as it is tall. Fold this into thirds, as though you are folding a business letter before placing it in an envelope. Place this first turn block on the lined cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes in the freezer or 45 minutes in the fridge. 

9. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out into a rectangle about 12" by 28". Fold this again and chill for 20 minutes. This is your second turn!

10. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out into a rectangle about 12" by 28". Fold this again and chill for 20 minutes. This is your third and final turn!

11. Take your cold dough and roll it out into a large, 12" x 21" rectangle. Freeze for about 30 minutes. It's time to shape your croissants. 

12. Cut out and shape your croissants. Using a ruler and pizza cutter, measure 4x20in rectangles. Then slice across 3x to create eight 4x5in rectangles.  Proof for 3 to 4 hours in a cool and humid place. Egg wash your croissants. 

13. Roll up the chocolate batons in the rectangle-shaped dough place the first baton at the bottom side (closest to you) and the second once the edge of the dough rolls up and touches the middle of the rectangle.

14. Place the rolled croissant dough on a sheet pan. Allow the shaped chocolate croissants to proof at room temperature for 1 hour, then continue in the refrigerator for another hour. Be sure to bake the croissants cold to prevent spreading. When they are ready to be baked they will look puffy. Brush them with egg wash. 

15. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and bake for 25-35 minutes, turning the heat down to 350ºF if you have convection once your close the oven door. 

The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica, CA | Recipe Developed by Republique