Easy French Pain au Chocolat

Gather the ingredients.

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water for 5 minutes.

Add the bread flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, and salt to the dissolved yeast and water, and mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time, until the dough is just firm enough to shape without sticking. 

Form dough into a ball and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 10- x 15-inch rectangle.

Cover it loosely and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.

Brush the rectangle with the softened butter and then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.

Roll the long, thin rectangle back into the original 10 x 15-inch shape.

Fold the dough into thirds, again, and then cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Repeat this process one more time.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into 12 rectangles.

Arrange 2 teaspoons of chopped chocolate across one of the short ends of the rectangle.

Fold that third of the dough over the chocolate, toward the center.

Repeat the process on the opposite side of the dough, folding it over and tucking the end under to create a cylindrical shape.

Arrange each finished pain au chocolat on a lightly greased baking sheet with at least 1 1/2 inches between each pastry.

Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until almost doubled in size, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons milk together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash across the surface of each pastry.

Bake the pain au chocolat for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown.