Pain au chocolat from croissant dough
Use the same laminated dough as croissants to make pain au chocolat. Two chocolate batons, a rectangle of dough, and a careful roll.
If you have made croissants, you have already done the hardest part of pain au chocolat. The shaping is simpler — no triangle, no roll-from-wide-end. Just a rectangle, two chocolate batons, and three turns.
Why this works
Chocolate batons are made for this purpose: they hold their shape during baking, do not seep into the layers, and give you a sweet, melted line through the center. Substituting chopped chocolate fails because it melts unevenly and leaks butter from the dough.
At a glance
- Yield
- 10 pain au chocolat
- Prep
- 45 minutes
- Cook
- 22 minutes
- Total
- PT3D
Ingredients
- Croissant dough (see linked recipe)
- 1 full batch
- Chocolate batons (Cacao Barry or Valrhona)
- 20 pieces (~140 g total)
- Egg wash
- 1
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Pizza wheel or chef's knife
- Ruler
- Pastry brush
- Sheet pans
- Parchment
Directions
Baker notes
- Cacao Barry, Valrhona, and Callebaut all make proper baking batons.
- If you cannot get batons, use a thin strip of high-quality dark chocolate bar — about 5mm thick.
- Bake on the same day as croissants — the dough does not store well after final shaping.
FAQ
Can I use chocolate chips?
No. They melt unevenly, leak, and crush the layers. Use real batons.
Pain au chocolat or chocolatine?
Same pastry, different name depending on the region of France. Both are correct.
Where to go next
Bake a sheet of croissants and a sheet of pain au chocolat from the same dough — that is what real bakeries do. Eat the seconds.
Crosodo Blog entries are recipe and craft notes from working cottage bakers. Recipes assume working with an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — see our state directory for legal details.