Celery Free Pain au Chocolat

Total time16 hr 20 min

Prep time1 hr 30 min

Cook time20 min

4.6

(5)

Few baked goods inspire as much awe as a perfectly laminated pastry fresh from the oven — shatteringly crisp on the outside, pillowy within, and hiding a molten ribbon of dark chocolate at the center. The entire recipe relies on flour, butter, milk, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, and chocolate, so there is absolutely nothing here that would concern anyone avoiding celery or celery derivatives. What makes this version special is the careful lamination process: cold butter is folded into the dough through three deliberate turns, building the dozens of gossamer layers that puff and separate in the oven's heat. The dark chocolate batons tucked inside melt just enough during baking to create that iconic gooey core without overwhelming the delicate pastry. Yes, this is a project recipe — the dough benefits from overnight rests and the lamination takes patience — but every step is straightforward and the payoff is extraordinary. Pull one apart while it's still warm and you'll understand immediately why people line up outside bakeries for these.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp fine salt
¾ cup whole milk, cold
¼ cup water, cold
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For the butter block

1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter, cold

For the filling

16 dark chocolate batons (or 4 oz dark chocolate, cut into 16 short sticks)

For the egg wash

1 large egg
1 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the cold milk and cold water, then mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add the 2 tbsp softened butter and increase to medium speed, mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
2
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a flat rectangle roughly 6×8 inches, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

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