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Flaky Chocolate Croissants

Fail proof flaky chocolate croissants with buttery laminated layers and rich dark chocolate centers. Includes detailed lamination steps, shaping guidance, and both same day and 24 hour timelines.
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Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, pastry, Snack
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Buttery Croissants, dark chocolate croissants, fail proof chocolate croissants, Flaky Croissants, homemade chocolate croissants, homemade croissants, pain au chocolat, pan au chocolat
Prep Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Proof Time: 9 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 13 minutes
Servings: 12 croissants

Ingredients 

Dough

  • ¾ cup warm milk 100–110°F
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup cold water
  • 3 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2½ cups bread flour
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened

Lamination Butter

  • 1½ cups 340 g unsalted butter, cold
  • Egg Wash
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream

Filling

  • Chocolate batons or chopped chocolate (or homemade batons—see notes)

Instructions

Make Dough

  • In a small bowl, mix warm milk (100–110°F), sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
  • In a stand mixer bowl with dough hook attached, combine bread flour, all-purpose flour, and salt.
  • Add yeast mixture and cold water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
  • Add butter and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough should feel slightly tacky.
  • Cover and let rest 1 hour until slightly puffy.
  • Shape into an 8x10-inch rectangle, wrap tightly in saran wrap, and refrigerate 1–2 hours (or overnight).

Prepare Lamination Butter

  • Draw an 8x5-inch rectangle on parchment paper.
  • Place butter between parchment and pound/roll the butter with a rolling pin into the rectangular shape.
  • Chill until firm but pliable (should bend without cracking).

Lamination

  • Roll dough to about 8½ x 12 inches on a lightly floured surface.
  • Place butter in the center and fold the dough over the butter like an envelope and seal the edges.

First Fold

  • Roll the laminated dough to 8 x 24 inches.
  • Fold into thirds like a letter again.
  • Wrap and chill for 30–45 minutes.

Second Fold

  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface with the folded edges on the sides and cut the folded edges with a knife to help with rolling. Roll the dough to 8 x 24 inches long again (if not rolling easily, use a rolling pin to slightly smash the dough and butter until easier to roll out).
  • Fold into thirds like a letter again.
  • Chill 30–45 minutes.

Third and Fourth Fold

  • Repeat the folding/lamination process 2 more times.
  • Chill at least 1 hour or overnight (up to 24 hours).
  • If butter softens or starts coming through, dust with a little flour and refrigerate immediately until a little colder again.

Shape Croissants

  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface again with the folded edges on the sides and cut the folded edges with a knife to help with rolling. Roll dough into a 10 x 24-inch rectangle, about ⅛-inch thick.
  • Trim the edges for clean layers.
  • Cut into 4 x 5-inch rectangles (about 12 total).
  • Roll each rectangle out to about 8 inches long.
  • Place 1 chocolate baton at one end.
  • Roll once, then add a second baton.
  • Roll fully and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 3 inches between each croissant.

Final Proof

  • Cover lightly with a towel and proof at 70–75°F for 2–3 hours, until: puffy, slightly jiggly, rounded edges (if the kitchen is cool, you may need to proof longer)
  • Optional: Refrigerate shaped croissants overnight, then proof in the morning.

Bake

  • Preheat the oven for at least 40 minutes at 400°F.
  • Whisk egg and cream and brush croissants with it.
  • Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F.
  • Then reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake another 18–20 minutes until deep golden brown.
  • Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Notes

  • Keep butter and dough cold throughout lamination.
  • Final dough thickness should be about ⅛ inch for flaky layers.
  • If butter leaks, the dough was too warm.
  • If croissants are dense, they were under-proofed.
  • If croissants are greasy, they were over-proofed.

Chocolate Baton Alternatives

  • Melt chocolate and pour into silicone molds, then chill until firm
  • Pipe 4-inch lines of melted chocolate onto a silicone mat and freeze
  • Use chopped chocolate if needed