Chocolate Puff Pastry (Napolitana de chocolate)
napolitana de chocolate Say it: nah-poh-lee-TAH-nah deh choh-koh-LAH-teh
A napolitana de chocolate is a Spanish bakery classic: a rectangular laminated pastry filled with soft chocolate and finished with a glossy chocolate glaze. It is eaten for breakfast or merienda, often with coffee or a glass of milk. The outside is crisp and flaky, the inside tender, and the chocolate filling rich but not too sweet. Its neat, bakery-style shape makes it a favorite across Spain.
Chocolate Puff Pastry (Napolitana de chocolate)
napolitana de chocolate
Pronounced nah-poh-lee-TAH-nah deh choh-koh-LAH-teh
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 25 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Rough puff pastry
Chocolate filling
Glaze and finish
Method
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and toss until each piece is coated. Drizzle in the ice-cold water, stirring with a knife until a shaggy dough forms; squeeze it together, shape into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll the dough to an 8 x 14 inch (20 x 35 cm) rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and roll out again; repeat the fold-and-roll twice more, chilling for 15 minutes if the butter softens. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes before the final roll.
Warm the cream for the filling until just simmering. Pour it over the chopped chocolate, butter and salt; leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cool until thick enough to spoon, about 30 minutes.
Roll the chilled dough to a 12 x 16 inch (30 x 40 cm) rectangle, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, and trim the edges. Cut into 8 rectangles, each about 4 x 6 inches (10 x 15 cm).
Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp (about 30 g) filling onto the lower half of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Fold the upper half over, press the edges firmly with a fork, and place seam-side down on a lined baking sheet. Chill for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 400°F (200°C).
Brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until puffed, deep golden and crisp at the edges.
For the glaze, warm the cream, pour it over the chopped chocolate and butter, and stir until glossy. Cool for 10 minutes until spreadable but pourable.
Spread or dip the tops of the warm pastries with the glaze and let set for 15 minutes. Serve the same day, when the pastry is still crisp.
Regional variant: Napolitana de crema (cream-filled napolitana)
Use the same dough and egg wash, but replace the chocolate filling with 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold pastry cream made from 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk, 3 egg yolks, 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar, 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch and 1 tbsp (15 g) butter. Fill and bake the pastries as above. Finish with a light sugar glaze or a dusting of icing sugar instead of the chocolate glaze.
Cook's notes
- Keep the butter cold; if the dough starts to feel greasy, chill it for 15 minutes before continuing.
- Press the pastry edges firmly so the chocolate filling does not leak during baking.
- Use a chocolate you enjoy eating; 60–70% dark chocolate keeps the filling rich but balanced.
Serve with
Coffee, hot chocolate, or a glass of cold milk.
Make ahead and storage
Bake up to 1 day ahead and glaze before serving; store airtight at room temperature. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes to crisp.
