Giant Pain au Chocolat Caramel (Printable Version)
Flaky pastry surrounds chocolate-caramel, crowned with chocolate glaze. Ideal for special brunches.
# The Ingredients You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 500 g all-purpose flour
02 - 60 g granulated sugar
03 - 10 g fine sea salt
04 - 10 g instant yeast
05 - 300 ml cold whole milk
06 - 60 g melted and cooled unsalted butter
07 - 280 g cold unsalted butter (for laminating)
→ Filling
08 - 250 g milk chocolate-caramel bar
09 - 100 g chopped milk chocolate (optional)
→ Egg Wash
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1 tbsp milk
→ Chocolate Glaze
12 - 100 g chopped dark chocolate
13 - 60 ml heavy cream
14 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add cold milk and melted butter. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 2–3 minutes until mostly smooth. Flatten into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
02 - Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment. Pound and roll into a 20x20 cm square. Roll chilled dough into a 30x30 cm square. Place butter in the center, fold dough over butter, and seal edges. Roll out to a 25x60 cm rectangle. Fold into thirds. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling and folding twice more, chilling 30 minutes between each.
03 - Roll the laminated dough into a 30x40 cm large rectangle, about 1 cm thick. Place the chocolate-caramel bar(s) lengthwise down the center, sprinkling extra chopped chocolate if desired. Fold the dough over the filling, pinching seams to seal well.
04 - Place the shaped dough seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise at room temperature until puffy, 45–60 minutes.
05 - Preheat to 200°C (400°F).
06 - Whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the risen pastry with the egg wash.
07 - Bake the pastry for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp. If browning too fast, tent with foil after 20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
08 - Melt chocolate, cream, and butter together until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm pastry and allow it to set for 10 minutes before serving.
# Additional Tips::
01 -
- Uses everyday butter and flour for real French bakery luxury at home
- Can be made in advance so you can wow your brunch guests with no stress
- Filling is super customizable with any favorite chocolate bar or extra caramel
- Big enough for a group and totally irresistible when pulled apart warm
- I first baked this for a birthday brunch and the way the caramel oozed out when we cut it—everyone begged for the recipe before they finished their first piece
02 -
- Flaky like a true bakery croissant because of all that careful butter folding
- Works beautifully with any favorite chocolate or even peanut butter
- Can be prepped the night before to save time
- My favorite part is the caramel center melting into the puffed pastry. Once I tried it with a salted caramel chocolate bar and it became my family’s all time request for special brunches. Nobody ever forgets the surprise when you cut it open and see that dramatic oozing center
03 -
- Always work quickly when rolling and folding dough to keep the butter cold and create the best layers
- Let the pastry rest fifteen minutes before cutting to keep the caramel from oozing out everywhere
- If using a chocolate bar with nuts or toffee chop it up slightly so the log folds smoothly