Chocolate Croissants Homemade (Printable)

Flaky, buttery croissants filled with rich chocolate, perfect for breakfast or special treats.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

→ Butter Layer

07 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter

→ Filling

08 - 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped or 8 chocolate batons

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tbsp milk

# How To Make It:

01 - Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter. Mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth.
03 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
04 - Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment. Pound and roll into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Chill if soft.
05 - Roll dough on a floured surface into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Place butter slab on one half, fold over the other half, sealing edges.
06 - Roll dough gently into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Fold in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat rolling and folding (turning 90 degrees each time) two more times, chilling 30 minutes between folds.
08 - Roll dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangles.
09 - Place chocolate at one end of each rectangle. Roll tightly into a log, seam-side down. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
10 - Cover loosely and let rise at warm room temperature for 2 hours, until puffy.
11 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
12 - Beat egg with milk. Brush croissants with egg wash.
13 - Bake 18–20 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The process becomes a meditation, a few hours of folding and chilling that feels almost sacred
  • That first warm bite when chocolate oozes out makes every single fold worth it
02 -
  • If butter breaks through the dough patch it with flour and keep going but try to work faster next time
  • Warm dough means melting butter which means no layers so keep everything chilled
03 -
  • Use a ruler for your first few times until you develop an eye for even rectangles
  • If your kitchen is hot work on a chilled marble surface or baking sheet

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