Homemade Chocolate Croissants (Printable Version)

Flaky croissants layered with butter and rich chocolate for a delightful breakfast or snack.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

→ Butter Layer

07 - 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold

→ Filling

08 - 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped or 8 chocolate batons

→ Egg Wash

09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon milk

# How-To:

01 - Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy and activated.
02 - Add flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter to yeast mixture. Mix until rough dough forms, then knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm.
04 - Place cold butter between parchment paper sheets. Pound and roll into an even 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Refrigerate if soft.
05 - Roll chilled dough on floured surface into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle. Position butter slab on lower half, fold upper half over, and seal edges completely.
06 - Gently roll dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - Repeat rolling and folding process twice more, rotating dough 90 degrees each time. Chill 30 minutes between each fold.
08 - Roll dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 equal rectangles. Place chocolate at one end of each and roll tightly into logs, seam-side down.
09 - Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise at warm room temperature for 2 hours until puffy and doubled in size.
10 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
11 - Whisk egg with milk until combined. Brush evenly over proofed croissants.
12 - Bake for 18–20 minutes until deep golden brown with crisp, flaky layers. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The moment you bite through that crisp exterior into warm, melting chocolate feels like magic
  • Your home will smell incredible, like youve been baking for hours even though most of the time is hands-off
  • These freeze beautifully before baking, so weekend breakfast becomes effortless
02 -
  • If your butter starts softening and squishing out during rolling, stop immediately and refrigerate everything for 20 minutes
  • The dough should feel cold and firm when youre working with it, never soft or sticky
  • Underproofed croissants will be dense while overproofed ones might lose their shape in the oven
03 -
  • Rotate your baking sheet halfway through baking for even coloring
  • Let the baked croissants cool for at least 10 minutes so the chocolate sets slightly

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