Henri’s Herb de Provence Pain au Chocolat

In Vanishing into the 100% Dark, Felicity sells her chocolate at a chocolate festival in Tokyo. The vendor next to her is a chocolatier from Paris. He also shares a number of baked treats with Felicity and her friends. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have him bake up this pain au chocolate, which first appeared in my first cookbook, There are Herbs in My Chocolate. Pain au chocolate is made from the same dough as croissants, which you can shape as elegantly or as rustically as you want. This version has added Provence-inspired herbs to the dough.

¾ c. milk
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 ½ c. flour
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast, plus 1 tsp
1 ¾ c. milk
6 c. flour
⅓ c. sugar
1 tbsp. salt, plus 1 tsp.
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. dried marjoram
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. dried savory
½ tsp. dried sage
½ tsp. dried basil
2 ¾ c. European-style butter
1 batch Bittersweet Chocolate Batons
4 egg yolks
¼ c. heavy cream
pinch salt

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to between 80° and 90 degrees. Pour the warmed milk into a medium bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Stir until the yeast dissolves completely, then add the flour, mixing with a spoon until it becomes a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and let the mixture rise in a warm spot until almost double in volume (typically 2 to 3 hours).

Transfer the preferment to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and add yeast. Mix on low speed for a minute or two until the yeast is incorporated into the preferment batter. Stop the mixer as needed and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed in. When the mixture is an even and well-mixed mass, increase the speed to medium, and continue to mix for a couple of minutes. Slowly add half of the milk and mix until fully incorporated.
Reduce mixer speed to low, add the flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, and remaining milk, and mix for approximately 3 minutes until a loose dough forms. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes which will shorten the final mixing phase.

After resting, mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, a maximum of 4 minutes. If the dough is very firm, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Take care not to overmix the dough. You will be rolling out the dough several times, which will further develop the gluten structure, so though you want a smooth dough, the less mixing the better. Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and allow to rise in a cool spot until the volume increases by half, approximately 1½ hours.

Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough. Press the dough into a rectangle 2 inches thick and wrap the rectangle in plastic, or slip it into a plastic bag and seal closed. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 4 to 6 hours.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to start laminating the dough, take out the butter, unwrap, and place the sticks (if butter is a solid block, cut into 4 quarter sticks) on a piece of wax paper, lined up single file. Place another piece of wax paper on top and use a rolling pin to beat and flatten the sticks into a large rectangle approximately 21 by 8 inches and ½ inch thick. Leave the butter rectangle in the wax paper and return to the refrigerator to chill but still remain pliable.

Lightly dust a cool work surface, and then remove the chilled dough and butter from the refrigerator. Unwrap the dough and place it on the floured surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 28-inches by 12-inches.

With the long side of the rectangle facing you, and starting from the left side, place the flattened rectangle of butter over two-thirds of the length of the dough rectangle. Fold the uncovered third over the butter and then fold the left-hand third over the center, as if folding a letter. The resulting rectangle is known as a plaque. Use your fingers to push down along the seams on the top and the bottom to seal the plaque.

Give the plaque a quarter turn so the seams are to your right and left, rather than at the top and bottom. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 28-inches by 12-inches, and fold again in the same manner as described above. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or slip into a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for 1½ to 2 hours to relax the gluten in the dough before making the third turn.

Before the third turn, use a bench scraper to clean your work surface and then re-dust with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, place on the floured surface, and again roll out into a rectangle 28-inches by 12-inches. Fold into thirds in the same manner described above to complete the third turn. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or slip into a plastic bag and place in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour. If you intend to make the croissants the next morning, leave the dough in the freezer until the evening and then transfer it to the refrigerator before going to bed. The next morning, the dough will be ready to roll out and form, proof, and bake. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 week; transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before using.

When you are ready to roll out the dough, dust the work surface with flour again. For the pain au chocolat, cut 8-inch by 4-inch rectangles of dough and place a bar at each short end. Roll the dough around each one toward the center and place face down on the pan.

When ready to bake, set the pan(s) on the middle rack of an oven (turned off) with another pan of steaming water placed on the bottom rack for approximately 2-3 hours to allow the dough to proof. To make sure that no skin forms on the pastries, refresh the pan of water halfway through the rising.
During this final rise, the croissants and rolls should at least double in size and look noticeably puffy. Test for doneness by pressing a roll or croissant lightly with a fingertip- if the indentation fills in slowly, they are almost ready to bake. When ready, remove the pans from the oven and set the oven to 425 degrees to preheat for 20 to 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before you are ready to bake, mix up the egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, and salt until you have a pale yellow mixture. Using a pastry brush, lightly and carefully brush the yolk mixture on the pastries, being careful not to allow the egg wash to drip onto the pan. Let the wash dry slightly before baking.

Place the sheet pans of croissants and rolls into the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees. Leave the door shut for the first 10 minutes and then, working quickly, open the oven door, rotate the pan(s) 180 degrees, and close the door. This rotation will help the pastries to bake evenly. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes longer, rotating the pan again during this time if the rolls and croissants do not appear to be baking evenly. The croissants and rolls should be fully baked within 15 to 20 minutes total. They should be a deep golden to almost dark brown on the top and bottom, crisp on the outside and feel light when picked up, indicating that the interior is cooked through.

Remove the croissants and rolls from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. As they cool, their moist interiors will set up. They are best if eaten while they are still slightly warm.

Chocolate Batons:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, tempered

Pour the warm tempered chocolate into 4-inch long stick-shapes on wax paper.

NOTE: If this feels too messy, cut stick-shapes from a bar of chocolate.

Henri’s Fig Spread and Brie Grilled Cheese

In Vanishing into the 100% Dark, Felicity makes friends with a Parisian chocolatier named Henri who has a booth next to hers at chocolate festival. One morning, Felicity is at the booth early, and Henri shares brie and fig spread grilled cheese sandwiches, which he brought for breakfast since he has heard how much Felicity appreciates a good sandwich. This recipe may be simple, but it packs a ton of flavor.

2 slices wheat bread
3 Tbsp. fig spread
3 Tbsp. brie
2 Tbsp. butter

Place the fig spread on one side of one piece of the wheat bread. Slather the brie on one side of the other piece of wheat bread. Sandwich together with the filling facing in.

In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sandwich and cook, occasionally moving with a spatula, until the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown. Flip the sandwich and cook the other side. When it is also golden brown, transfer the sandwich to a plate and serve warm.