Pain au chocolat

Set the high fat butter in a warm place to soften.

Combine the warm water and cooled scalded milk in a stand mixer, then add the yeast, sugar, salt and flour.

Mix on low with the dough hook two to three minutes until it comes together into a shaggy mass.

Raise to high speed and drop in the softened butter a bit at a time, then mix five more minutes until the dough clears the bowl and does not tear.

Shape into a tidy ball, cover, and ferment 90 minutes.

Mark an eight by twelve inch rectangle across two half sheet sized pieces of parchment and fold both along the lines to make interlocking boxes.

Enclose the butter between the papers, pound it flat, push it into the corners with the side of the rolling pin, then level it by pressing with a sheet tray.

Chill the butter block flat on a sheet tray, pulling it out to temper 20 minutes before laminating.

Turn the risen dough onto a floured board, degas it aggressively, and roll to an 18 by 8 inch rectangle.

Lay the butter over the bottom two thirds, fold the top third over the middle and the bottom third over that, then turn 90 degrees and roll back out to 18 inches.

Make a book fold: fold each side to the middle, then fold both halves together for eight layers. Pound with the rolling pin to seal.

Cover and chill 30 minutes to firm the butter and relax the gluten.

Flour, pound flat with the blunt edge of the rolling pin, and roll one to two minutes to twice as wide and half as thick.

Chill 20 to 30 minutes.

Roll to a quarter inch thick, 10 inches tall and 15 inches wide, then trim all four sides with a bench scraper.

Cut into eight strips three inches wide and about five inches tall; chill 10 minutes if the butter smears.

Stack two strips of chocolate at one end of each piece and roll into a cylinder, tucking the edge underneath so it sits on the seam.

Set on a parchment lined sheet tray, cover with another tray, and proof 90 minutes until more than doubled and slow to spring back when poked.

Variation: wrap and freeze the unproofed pastries, then proof from frozen when wanted.

Stir the egg and milk together and apply two layers of egg wash.

Bake at 425F for 16 to 18 minutes until deeply golden brown and well risen.