Chocolate Croissants

Cut the 1/4 cup of the butter into fourths and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Add the 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, the salt, and the yeast to the bowl.

Turn the mixer on low-medium speed to lightly combine the ingredients for about 1 minute.

As the mixer is running, slowly pour in the milk.

When the milk is completely added, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft.

Lightly flour a baking mat.

Move the dough from the bowl and work it into a ball.

Put the dough onto the prepared baking mat.

Lightly flatten out the dough, and cover it with plastic wrap or foil.

Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.

Transfer the dough from the fridge.

Start to flatten the dough by rolling it into a rectangle about 14x10-inches. The dough should feel like soft play-doh.

Put the dough back on the floured baking tray.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or foil and return the baking tray to the fridge.

Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

In a bowl using a hand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment, add the 1 1/2 cup of the butter and the 2 tablespoons of the flour together until smooth and mixed.

Move the butter mixture to a baking mat or parchment paper lined baking tray.

Smooth out the butter mixture into a 7x10 rectangle.

Put the baking tray in the fridge and chill the butter mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Move both the dough and butter mixture from the fridge.

Put the butter layer on top of the center of the dough

Fold each end of the dough over and seal the dough edges over the butter layer using your fingers.

On a floured surface, roll the dough to a 10x20-inch rectangle, using your fingers as needed. Place the dough back into the fridge if it starts to get too soft; the butter needs to remain as cold as possible

Turn the dough so the short end is facing you.

Roll the dough again into a 10x20-inch rectangle.

Fold the dough lengthwise in thirds, like a letter.

Put the folded dough on the baking tray, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat the process again of rolling the dough out into a 10x20-inch rectangle and then folding the dough in thirds like a letter. This process, called laminating, creates the flaky buttery layers of the pastry.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Transfer the dough from the fridge.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into an 8x20-inch rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough in half vertically. Each rectangle should be 4 inches wide.

Cut 4 even slices horizontally, resulting in 8, 4x5-inch rectangles.

Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise so you have 16 2x5-inch rectangles.

One rectangle at a time, use your fingers to stretch each rectangle out to be about 8-inches long. Do this lightly as you do not want to flatten the layers.

Put a few small pieces of the chocolate on the short end of the rectangle.

Roll the dough around the chocolate. Ensure the seam is on the bottom.

Repeat this with the remaining dough, putting the croissants on 2 lined baking sheets evenly.

Cover the croissants with plastic wrap or foil and let it rest at room temp for 1 hour.

Put the croissants in the fridge to rest for 1-12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the egg and milk together to make an egg wash.

Transfer the croissants from the fridge and brush each with the egg wash.

Bake until the croissants are a golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn the pans halfway through. If the croissants are darkening too quickly, lower the oven to 375 degrees F.

Move the chocolate croissants from the oven and place them on a rack to cool for a few minutes. They will slightly deflate as they cool.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Serve!