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Writer's picturejordanswellness

Baking My Way Through Paul Hollywood's "How to Bake" - Twenty: Pain Au Chocolat

For this recipe, I indulged in the art of baking pain au chocolat and discovered the hidden lessons within pastry making. As the buttery layers were folded, patience became my ally. Each delicate fold echoes the importance of precision, while the aroma of chocolate wafted sweet and warm dedication. In the kitchen, every imperfect batch becomes a lesson, shaping not just pastries, but character. Join me for this experience.


My personal challenge: baking my way through "How to Bake". This post is my experience baking and learning new skills from tackling each recipe in Paul Hollywood's, "How to Bake". I will also document any recipe changes that I made - mainly as a result of not having the ingredients on hand (i.e., we never have regular sugar in the house) - and how the recipe fared. I will not be providing the recipes that are in his book.


"How to Bake" Pain Au Chocolat
These pain au chocolat pastries were absolutely delicious. I decided to use a chocolate hazelnut spread for the filling and it did no disappoint. And, I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful layers of each pastry. One lesson: I did not keep the ends of the dough tucked underneath, which resulted in a bit of a scorpion tail after baking. Alas!


I baked these pastries over the holidays and brought some of them to our craniosacral therapist as a holiday gift. The next time we visited him for a session, he raved about the pastries and even boasted that he did not share them with his family. Now, if that is not the highest compliment, I don't know what is.


This recipe from "How to Bake" turned out to be a delicious success and worth every calorie in each buttery and chocolaty bite. I would recommend this recipe for any occassion and gathering, especially if you have friends you want to share the art of pastry making with and wow their tastebuds.




Here are some of the lessons that I learned while making the Pain Au Chocolat from "How to Bake":


Honestly, this list is all about why our Apple Cheddar Sourdough became so dense it looked like someone sat on top of the loaf after baking and how to prevent that issue next time. If you are anything like me or have experienced overly dense sourdough, then this post might help you!


  1. Precision Matters: Pastry making is a delicate dance of measurements and timing. A gram too much or a minute too long can alter the final result significantly. Learning to be meticulous and precise in both ingredients and techniques is paramount. I always, always use a scale when working with "How to Bake" because I have read so many professional chef blogs about the importance of the science of baking compared to just throwing in flavors and amounts in cooking. So, yes precision is SO IMPORTANT.

  2. Patience is Key: From chilling dough to allowing pastries to rise, patience is essential in pastry making. Rushing through steps can compromise the texture and flavor of the final product. Embracing the slow and steady process leads to beautifully crafted pastries. I made this dough over two days and it was totally worth reading the recipe ahead of time, reading the recipe when starting the dough process, and rereading the recipe when assembling the pastries. Now, in case you missed it, keep the folded end face down on the baking sheet to make sure you do not end up with a scorpion tail on your pastry.

  3. Practice Makes Perfect: Pastry making is a skill honed through repetition and practice. It's okay to make mistakes along the way; each misstep is an opportunity to learn and improve. With perseverance and dedication, mastering the art of pastry making becomes an attainable goal. The lamination in this recipe turned out really well for me, but the assembly proved to be difficult because I ended up with a scorpion tail. Now, I would not be as embarrassed by the scorpion pastry if I had not gone to a French bakery and saw huge croissants in their pastry case with absolutely perfect precision, size, and flaky crust.

  4. Use High-Quality Ingredients: Opt for premium butter and chocolate to ensure the best flavor and texture. Quality ingredients not only enhance the taste but also contribute to the richness and authenticity of the pastry. Good butter with a high fat content is especially important for creating those flaky, buttery layers that are characteristic of pain au chocolat. For this recipe, I did not use vegan butter but I did use a dairy free hazelnut spread and it was incredible. I stuck to all the ingredients recommended to ensure a perfectly flaky and tasty pastry. This will never fail you.

  5. Master the Technique of Laminating Dough: Laminating dough is the process of folding and rolling layers of butter into the pastry dough to create those irresistible flaky layers. Understanding and executing this technique correctly is essential for achieving the desired texture in pain au chocolat. Practice proper folding and rolling techniques, ensuring even distribution of butter throughout the dough. This step may require patience and practice, but it's worth mastering for a successful batch of pain au chocolat 



Our Review: If you can't already tell, we were a big fan and so surprised how delicious these pastries turned out from "How to Bake". The pain au chocolat boasted a heavenly combination of buttery, flaky layers enveloping rich, melted chocolate. Each bite offered a perfect balance of sweetness and indulgence, with the aroma of freshly baked pastry tantalizing the senses. The success of the pain au chocolat can be attributed to the careful selection of high-quality ingredients, such as premium butter and chocolate, which elevated the flavor profile. Additionally, mastering the technique of laminating the dough ensured the creation of those coveted layers, resulting in a pastry that was both visually stunning and incredibly delicious. Okay, maybe not visually stunning unless you are a fan of scorpions, but still so tasty!


On that note, I hope that you find a recipe book you enjoy, or this one, that I am currently baking my way through. Either way, enjoy baking and nourishing yourself and your family.


All my light and all my love.

Namaste,

Jordan

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