Chocolate Croissants from Learning to Bake Allergen-Free

Last week I shared a couple of favorite recipes from The Allergy-Free Pantry.Today, I am sharing a favorite from Learning to Bake Allergen-Free.

You might not be able to have eggs or traditional cereal with milk for breakfast, but yes, you can have chocolate for breakfast with this gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free recipe!

Chocolate Croissants

The French refer to chocolate croissants as pain au chocolat. Translated literally, this means “chocolate bread,” and there’s no better place to get it than a street-side café in Paris. Unless of course you need an allergen-free version—in which case you’ll want to make your own at home.

When making a puffed pastry or croissant with traditional ingredients, it’s typical to use puff pastry dough. These are unleavened, made with multiple layers of wheat dough, and lots of butter. The technique to make this dough takes advantage of the gluten in the flour, and results in flaking when baked. Since we’re baking without gluten, my recipe uses yeast to provide some lift. It won’t be as flaky as a croissant made from wheat and butter, but it still gives you that rich, decadent experience you would expect from chocolate bread, and it’s lower in fat.

Makes 8 Croissants

1½ cups gluten-free flour blend (192 grams)
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend contains xanthan gum)
2¼ teaspoons quick-rising yeast
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup warm water
1½ teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons warm water (equal to 1 egg)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Up to 3 tablespoons warm water (as needed)
Up to 2 tablespoons additional flour for dusting
¾ cup allergen-free chocolate chips

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the flours, xanthan gum (if needed), yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set it aside.

3. Blend the oil, water, egg replacer mixture, and vanilla together in a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, about 1 minute.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on medium-low speed, until combined.

5. Beat for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add up to 3 tablespoons warm water, ½ tablespoon at a time, as needed.

6. Spread a thin layer of flour on a smooth prep surface. Scoop the dough on top of the flour.

7. Use a bench knife or sharp-edged knife to divide the dough into eight equal-sized cubes.

8. Coat each portion lightly with flour.

9. Use a rolling pin to roll out each cube into a rectangle about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
10. Place chocolate chips in the center third of each rectangle, and fold the flaps over the chocolate. Place a drop of water under the top flap to help it stay in place, and tuck it under so it stays secure.

11. Proof for 35 to 45 minutes.

12. With 5 minutes left to rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.

13. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 16 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and the chocolate is bubbling around the edges.

14. Let the croissants cool completely, and then decorate with chocolate glaze:

Tips

• Note that the temperature for baking the croissants is 350°F, lower than most yeast bread recipes. You don’t want to burn the chocolate by baking it at too high a temperature.
• Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend or ¾ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup sorghum flour, and ¼ cup tapioca starch.

Credit line: Recipe from Learning to Bake Allergen-Free: A Crash Course for Busy Parents on Baking without Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy or Nuts, copyright © Colette Martin, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.