SUNDAY MORNINGS AT MY HOUSE pain au chocolat

                                 • The text was originally posted February 2008 •
                           photos taken at a recent Sunday morning breakfast
    

       I barely had them out of the oven before the pain au chocolat (bread and chocolate rolls) were history.  My daughter brought ten friends home after school and when they found these cooling on the kitchen table they were quickly devoured.  It was hard to be upset about this, although I was seriously looking forward to waking the next morning and eating a pain au chocolat, momentarily warmed in the oven, along with my cappuccino.  But when my daughter told me how much her friends loved the rolls I knew my efforts were appreciated and that meant more to me than eating one myself..... I think?

  

                                           • PAIN au CHOCOLAT •
                                         Time for Snacks by Patricia Wells
                              New York Times Magazine | September 25, 1988

• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. or 1 package, dry yeast
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• about 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, divided into 8 equal portions
  milk, for brushing the rolls

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, water, sugar, yeast and one cup of the flour.  Stir until thoroughly blended and set aside to proof the yeast, about five minutes.
2.  Once proofed, add the salt, then begin adding the remaining flour, little by little, until the dough is too stiff to stir.  Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and begin kneading, adding additional flour if the dough is too sticky.  Knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.  (This can be done in a mixer with a dough hook).
3.  Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about one hour.
4.  Punch down and let rise again, covered, until double in bulk, about one hour.
5.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
6.  Divide the dough into eight equal portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a six-inch-by-four-inch rectangle. (I just stretch with my hands and forget the rolling pin). Place a portion of chocolate in the center of each piece of dough.  Fold the end, then the sides, pinching the dough to seal.  Place, pinched side down, on a baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rest, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes. 
7.  Brush the rolls with milk and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.                                
                                                     Yield:  Eight Rolls

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