Croissants and Pains au Chocolat

Serves: Makes 6-8 croissants (or 12 mini-croissants)

Total time: 50 minutes (additional proving time required)

Method

• Add the yeast and 5g of sugar into a small bowl with a little of the milk. Leave for 3-4 minutes until foaming.
• Add the plain flour, the rest of the sugar and salt to your Kenwood Chef bowl, attach the dough hook and mix until combined. 
• Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the milk to the bowl and mix on Speed 1 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. 
• Leave the mixture in the bowl, cover and put it in a warm place to rise for an hour. 
• On a floured surface roll out the dough into a large rectangle, always rolling in one long direction. 
• Dot the whole dough surface with the chilled butter, cut into squares and fold into three, from the top down. Roll out and dot again with the butter. Fold into three again and leave the dough in the fridge overnight.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle (roughly 45cmx 15cm) and cut into equal long triangles.
• Roll up from the base towards the point and curve into crescents.
• Leave to rise for another hour.
• Brush each one with the beaten egg and place on a greased baking tray.
• Bake in the oven at 220°C for about 15 minutes, or until golden.
• 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.