Ingredients

• 7g easy action dried yeast
• 60g sugar
• 250ml warm milk
• 500g plain flour plus a little extra for dusting
• A pinch of salt
• 275g butter chilled

For brushing

• 1 egg, beaten

• 70% cocoa dark chocolate for pains au chocolat

Tools

• Rolling pin
• Baking tray

Method

1. Put the yeast and 5g of the sugar in a bowl with a little of the milk. Leave for 3-4 minutes until foaming.
2. Add the flour, salt and the remaining 55g of the sugar to the bowl, attach the dough hook and mix until combined. 
3. Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the milk to the bowl and knead until the flour comes together and has absorbed all the milk. Be careful not to mix it too much or the dough will be heavy. 
4. Leave the mixture in the bowl and put it in a warm place to rise for an hour. 
5. On a floured work surface roll out the dough into a large rectangle, always rolling in one long direction 
6. Dot the whole surface with butter and fold into three, from the top down. Roll out and dot again with butter. Fold into three again and leave the dough in the fridge overnight.
7. Roll the dough into a rectangle 45cmx 15cm and cut into triangles (roughly 20cm x10cm).  Roll up from the point and curve into crescents. Leave to rise for another hour.
8. Brush each one with the beaten egg and place on a greased baking tray. Bake in the oven at 220°C (gas mark 6) for about 15 minutes, or until golden.
9. To make pains au chocolat, cut rectangles of pastry and lay two strips of chocolate side by side down the middle. Fold the edges in and roll into a cylinder. Glaze with the egg and bake as croissants.

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