Parisian bakery-style sweet baguettes with chocolate chips also known as ”Viennoise au chocolat” or simply Viennese pastries (”Baguettes viennoises”). Typical for any Parisian bakery, these sweet breakfast baguettes have the texture of brioche bread with added different toppings – like crushed chocolate or chocolate chips.
If you’ve ever had a wander round Paris, you’ve no doubt come across the world of pastries. And I don’t just mean the usual croissant with a coffee – I’m talking about the whole line-up that greets you the second you step into a proper French bakery.
When we were last in France a few months back (read about it over here), my kids got hooked on something a bit different: the baguette viennoise. Now, the name throws you off at first. Looks like a baguette, sure — but bite into it and it’s closer to a soft, sweet brioche (check out my recipe for French Brioche Bread (Pain brioché tressé)). A real French magic!
They still call it “Viennoise” though, because the shape nods to the classic breads of Vienna. Add a bit of chocolate and you’ve got yourself a pastry that sits somewhere between breakfast and dessert. Naturally, once I saw how much the kids loved them, I just had to recreate them at home. Hope you like them too.
Behind the Bites
Put simply, this take on the French baguette is really more of a sweet, soft bread with a touch of pastry about it – a Viennese-style treat laced with chocolate, usually as chips or little shards. It belongs to the wider viennoiserie family, those bakes that sit somewhere between bread and pastry, thanks to a richer dough made with butter, eggs, sugar and milk.
As the story goes, the whole idea of viennoiserie – meaning “in the style of Vienna” – took root in France in the 19th century. The big influence was August Zang, an Austrian who opened the Boulangerie Viennoise in Paris back in 1837, bringing a taste of Vienna to the French capital.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – all purpose white unbleached flour is best
- Instant dry yeast
- Sugar – brown or white
- Eggs
- Milk – approx. 3% fat
- Butter
- Dark chocolate – chips or crushed chocolate
- Pinch of sea salt
How to make Parisian baguettes with chocolate?
1st: Combine all dough ingredients, without the soft butter. Knead a soft dough. Then incorporate the butter into the dough.
2nd: Let the dough rise and triple in size.
3rd: Divide the dough into equally sized balls. Roll out each in oval shape and sprinkle some chocolate in the middle.
4th: Roll the edges inwards to shape a small baguette. Place onto baking paper, cover with damp cloth and let rise for approx. 20 min. on room temperature.
5th: Make small cuts at the top of each baguette and brush with some egg yolk (or olive oil). Bake in preheated oven on 180C/360F until golden and fully baked.
MORE FRENCH meals?
Here are some French meals, you may have never seen before:
Parisian Chocolate Baguettes ( Viennoise au chocolat)
Ingredients
Instructions
- First, in a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and instant yeast. Sprinkle some salt. Then, add in the egg and milk. Knead a soft dough.
- Next, add in the soft, room temperature butter in cubes and knead until well incorporated into the dough. I prefer using a kitchen robot for that.
- Then, cover dough with a cloth and let rise on room temperature (or somewhere warm)- it should at least double in size.
- Transfer onto slightly floured surface and divide dough into 10 equally sized balls. Roll out each into an oval shape and sprinkle some crushed chocolate in the middle.
- Roll out each inwards – from one end to the other – to make a small baguette. Tuck in the dough well at the bottom.
- With a sharp knife make 3-4 cuts at the top of each baguette and transfer onto baking tray. Cover with cloth and let rise at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, or until baguettes rise well.
- Brush baguettes with beaten egg yolk at the top. Bake in preheated oven (200C/400F) until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.
Easy breakfast recipe that anyone will love!