The Pain au Chocolat Chronicles: Hand-Delivered History and Heartfelt Hellos
Hello, cherished readers, amateur historians, and fellow butter enthusiasts! Today’s post is more than a mere culinary escapade; it’s a heartwarming tale of my first mission in my new neighborhood – armed with nothing but a box of homemade Gourmet Pain au Chocolat, a dash of history, and a dollop of neighborly courage.
Prologue: A Flour-Dusted Journey Through Time Let’s set the scene: Paris in the 19th century, bustling with culinary innovation. The Pain au Chocolat, a simple yet revolutionary combination of butter, dough, and chocolate, was capturing hearts. Fast forward to today, and here I am, inspired by this legacy and a fantastic croissant recipe from the New York Times (right here for the curious), ready to bake my way into my neighbors’ good graces.
Chapter 1: The Détrempe Chronicles In the sanctuary of my new, sparkling kitchen, the journey began with the ‘détrempe.’ This wasn’t just dough; it was a tribute to generations of bakers whose hands had lovingly folded similar mixtures. Each addition of flour and butter felt like shaking hands with history.
Chapter 2: Laminating Through History As I laminated the dough, each fold felt like a step through time – a culinary bridge connecting me to the unsung heroes of patisserie. The rhythm of rolling and folding was a dance with history, each turn a twirl with tradition.
Chapter 3: The Chocolate Revolution Adding the chocolate batons was like planting little flags of flavor, each one a declaration of delicious intent. When a baker first decided to sneak chocolate into a croissant, little did they know they were making history. As I rolled the dough around these chocolate batons, I couldn’t help but feel part of this tasty revolution.
Chapter 4: Neighborly Gestures, One Box at a Time Fast forward to the present, in a neighborhood as new to me as I am to it. With boxes filled with freshly baked Pain au Chocolat, I stepped out, each step buoyed by a mix of excitement and nerves. This was it – my culinary ‘hello’ to the neighborhood.
Interlude: The Walk of Hope Walking from door to door, box in hand, I felt like a humble ambassador of pastry diplomacy. Would this gesture be too bold, too forward? But then, armed with the confidence that only a box of pastries can give, I rang the first doorbell.
Chapter 5: The Exchange There’s something profoundly human about sharing food. As I handed over the box, I felt a connection being forged. I didn’t need to see their first bites or hear their initial reactions. The smiles, the nods of thanks – those were enough. At that moment, we weren’t just neighbors; we were people brought together by the universal language of good food.
Epilogue: The Sweet Aftertaste of New Beginnings Walking back to my house, I felt lighter, my heart full. I had shared something more than just pastries – I had shared a piece of history, a piece of myself. This was more than a successful baking adventure; it was the start of new stories, new friendships, and undoubtedly, more culinary escapades.
So, there you have it – my inaugural foray into neighborhood diplomacy, with a little help from the annals of baking history. Stay tuned for more adventures from my kitchen, where past and present converge over the love of baking. Bon Appétit, and remember: sometimes, the shortest distance between two people is a shared Pain au Chocolat!
Gourmet Pain au Chocolat
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Wheel cutter
- Ruler
Ingredients
For the Pâte Feuilletée (Détrempe):
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 10 g salt
- 10 g instant yeast
- 120 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 180 g whole milk chilled
- 120 g water chilled
- 250 g unsalted butter cold and squared for lamination (Beurrage)
For the Chocolate Filling:
- 24 chocolate batons or bars cut into baton-sized pieces
For the Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg about 50g, beaten
- 15 g water or Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Détrempe Preparation: In a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the room temperature butter, and mix until crumbly. Gradually add chilled milk and water, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth. cover bowl in plastic and leave out on counter for 1 hour or until doubled in size. then place into the refrigerator for 7 – 12 hours.
- Beurrage: While the détrempe chills, prepare the lamination butter by placing it between two sheets of parchment paper and pounding it with a rolling pin into a 7×7 inch square. Keep chilled.
- First Lamination (Tour Simple): Roll out the détrempe on a floured surface into a 10×10 inch square. Place the squared butter in the center, diagonally. Fold the corners of the détrempe over the butter, enclosing it completely. Roll out the dough into a 20×8 inch rectangle, then fold into thirds (tour simple). Chill for 1 hour.
- Second and Third Lamination (Tour Double): Repeat the rolling and folding process twice more, performing a ‘tour double’ each time, and chilling the dough for 1 hour after each lamination.
- Shaping: Roll the dough into a 16×20 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 rectangles. Place two chocolate batons at one end of each rectangle, roll tightly to enclose the chocolate.
- Proofing: Place the shaped pastries on baking sheets, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and proof for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Baking: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the pastries with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Cooling: Let cool on the baking sheets before serving.
Notes
- Using cold butter in the détrempe is crucial for achieving the desired flakiness in the layers.
- Keep all ingredients cold and work quickly to prevent the butter from softening.
- This enriched dough might take a bit longer to rise due to the richness of the ingredients.
- These pastries are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored and reheated.
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