What could be a better treat than a soft buttery croissant with a chocolate filling?

These chocolate croissants definitely do not disappoint. The croissant has many buttery flaky layers that seemingly melt in your mouth. The center is filled with just the right amount chocolate that provides a nice creamy decadence.

Learn how to make these Chocolate croissants with step-by-step instructions.

Disclaimer- making croissants are time intensive, but if you prepare in advance it is doable in a day. I would recommend though breaking it up into 2 days.

Chocolate Croissant

Print Recipe

Equipment

Food processer

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm whole milk 110 to 115 degree F
1 tsp sugar for yeast blooming
2 Tbsp sugar dough ingredient
1 Tbsp instant yeast 4 tsp if using active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 cup cold milk

Ingredients for Butter Block…aka Beurrage

3 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter 14 ounces of butter
2 Tbsp flour

Ingredients for Chocolate filling and Topping off Croissants

12 battons chocolate 1/2 cup finely grated bittersweet or semisweet chocolate also works well
6 Tbsp frangipane almond paste. I prefer it without it, but the almond paste makes it a french dessert
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup almonds optional. Used on top of croissants if frangipane is used

Instructions

How to make the dough block:
Before starting to make the dough block, take the butter for the butter block out of the refrigerator so it can start to come up to room temperature.
1. Pour the warm milk into a small bowl and add 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast. Stir and set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. The temperature of the milk is very important. Use a kitchen thermometer is ensure the milk is not to hot.
2. In a food processer add flour,2 tablespoons sugar,salt and cold butter pieces. Pulse on food processer until ingredients are blended. The mixture will look like breadcrumbs.
3. Add the yeast and milk to the flour and butter mixture in the food processor. Pulse the processor. The liquid will absorb into the dough and the dough will start to form into a pliable smooth mass. Do not pulse the processor for long. The goal is just to get the dough to come together
4. Remove dough for food processor and wrap the dough loosely in plastic wrap. The dough will expand and will need room Refrierate the dough for 30 – 60 minutes.
How to make and Prepare the Butter Block:
There are many ways to prepare the butter block. The goal is to have a solid pliable sheet of butter that is about 9 1/2 inches by 11 inches. A gallon Ziplock bag is about the size you are looking for.
One way is get the butter block is to add the butter and flour to a Ziplock bag and roll the butter and flour together with a rolling pin
Alternatively, the butter can be cut into small pieces and sandwiched between two pieces of parchment paper. The butter is then rolled into the needed size. This is my preferred way.
After the butter block is formed, place it into the refrigator
How to Incorporate the butter into the dough:
1. start off with a work surface that has a flour dusted sylicone mat
2. Place the dough ball on the prepared surface and roll the dough out to a rectange that is about 12 by 15 inches.
3. Remove the butter block from the refrigerator. Peel off the parchment paper, or remove butter from Ziplock bag and place the butter on the top 1/3 of the dough
4. Leave a 1/2 border around the edges .
Encasing the butter with a letter fold. This is the first turn:
1. Fold the bottom 1/3 of the dough up to the center. This is the point of meeting the bottom edge of the butter
2. Then fold the top 1/3 of the dough down to the center . Using a rolling pin, ensure that all seams are closed by rolling over the dough 3 to 4 times
3. If the butter has become soft, refrigerator the dough for 30 minutes to an hour. The butter nees to remain cold. If you have worked fast and teh buttter is still cold you can continue to the next step
Book Fold- Second turn:
1. On a flour dusted surface, roll dough out into a 20 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
2. Fold the two short edges into the center of the dough leaving an 1/4 inch space between the edges
3. Now, fold one side over onto the other, as though you were closing a book.
4. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the dough about 3 to 4 times to seal the seams. This completes the second turn. Wrap the dough in plastic warp and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Letter fold – Third turn:
1. On a flour dusted surface roll out again the dough into a 20 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
2.Fold the bottom 1/3 of the dough up to the center and then the top 1/3 of the dough over to the center. Roll your rolling pin across to seal the seams. This completes the third turn and the croissant dough is finished.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before cutting, shaping, and baking.
Putting it all together-Making the Chocolate Croissants
1. Line the baking sheets
2. Divide the dough in half- two equal size pieces
3. Roll out one of the halves of dough into a 10 inch round circle
4. Cut the dough much like cutting a pizza. You should get 8 pieces of dough in a triangle shape.
5. With the second half of the dough, roll it out into a 10 inch round circle and cut it into 8 triangles
Frangipane or Not
Now it is time to decide if you are going the add the frangipane or not. I would suggest maybe baking half with the almond paste and half without. If you are going to use almond paste, remember to place a couple slice almonds on the top of the coissants. This helps identify which coissants have the almond paste and which do not.
Recipe for Frangipane:
3/4 cup toasted and cooled natural almonds
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons soften butter
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
In a food processor blend almonds and sugar until finely ground. Add the softened butter and process until well blended. Add eggs, flour and almond extract and process until thouroughly mixed.
1.Place about a tablespoon of almond paste on the dough triangle and spread with offset spatula if adding to your crosiassants.
2.Place a couple of chocolate batons on dough triangle
3. Start to roll the dough. Add more Chocolate as desired while rolling up the croissant.
4. Place croissants on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down.
Egg Wash:
1. Beat the egg with the milk and evenly brush onto each croissant.
Rising of the Dough
Allow the croissants to rise until they double in size. This can be abaout 1 to 2 hours. The croissants are ready when they feel marshmallow-like. If your kitchen is cold you will want to seek a warmer spot. I have found using the dryer as a great place for pastries, rolls, and breads to rise. I try the dry on for about 30 seconds and then balance the baking sheet in the dryer for the needed rising time.
Baking the Croissants
1.Preheat the oven to 400. After the croissants have risen, place the baking sheet back into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This is to ensure that the butter is nice and cold. You want the butter cold so the croissants will be flakey.
2. Brush the croissants again with egg wash. If almond paste was used, placed a couple almond slices on the top of the croissants. Bake one baking sheet at a time if you have two baking sheets.
3. Bake for 17 to 22 minutes – until golden brown
4. Transfer the croissants to a cooling rack
5. If desired, dust with powered sugar