Pain au Chocolat

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast.

Add milk and the softened butter to the dry ingredients. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

Place the butter for the block between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound and shape it into a roughly 6x8 inch rectangle.

Refrigerate the butter block until firm but still pliable.

Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a rectangle roughly twice the size of the butter block (about 12x8 inches).

Place the chilled butter block on one half of the dough rectangle. Fold the other half of the dough over the butter, sealing the edges.

Gently roll the dough into a long rectangle. Perform a single fold (letter fold): fold one-third of the dough over the middle, then fold the remaining third over that.

Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat the rolling and single fold process. Chill again for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat the rolling and single fold process one more time. Chill for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.

Trim the edges and cut the dough into long strips, about 3-4 inches wide.

Place one chocolate stick near the edge of a dough strip. Roll the dough over the chocolate, enclosing it. Place another chocolate stick next to the first rolled section and continue rolling.

Tuck in the ends and gently shape the rolls. Place them seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between them.

Cover the shaped pains au chocolat loosely with plastic wrap and let them proof in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until they have nearly doubled in size and look puffy.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Whisk together the egg yolk and milk. Gently brush the tops of the pains au chocolat with the egg wash.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. If they brown too quickly, you can loosely tent them with foil.

Transfer the baked pains au chocolat to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.