Kouign Amann is fun to try and pronounce, and it’s is definitely fun to make. This delicious pastry is a round Breton cake made of yeast dough with butter and sugar layers folded in, similar in fashion to puff pastry.
The name of this pastry derives from the Breton word for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The sugar caramelizes while baking and what you end up with is sweet, sticky, flaky and buttery goodness, similar to a croissant. A delicious recipe from France, with only a handful of ingredients. 
HOW TO SUCCEED WITH YOUR KOUIGN AMANN
No wonder butter-loving people of Brittany invented a cake like this. The key to success with kouign amann is not pushing anything too fast.
This is why the actual hands-on time is only about 30 minutes, but the pastries still take all afternoon to make. All the downtime is just to give the dough time to rise and to give the butter time to chill in the fridge between turns.
Keeping the butter chilled is crucial for creating all the lovely, flakey layers of pastry. Use the best butter you can find (preferably salted).
You can shape kouign amann into rolls, or place the dough into muffin tins, or make one large round cake. Whatever you end up doing, will make you feel like you are a professional Parisian pastry chef.
Now, on to the recipe!
Kouign Amann
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 12 pastries 1x
Description
Kouign Amann is a traditional Breton pastry with layers of buttery, caramelized goodness, similar to a croissant but with a sweet, sticky twist.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp (12 g) active dry or instant yeast
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (110 g) cold salted butter, plus extra to grease the pan
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon active dry or instant yeast. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms.
- Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of flour, kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle approximately 12×18 inches.
- Spread 1 stick of cold salted butter over two-thirds of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of granulated sugar evenly over the buttered section of the dough.
- Fold the unbuttered third of the dough over the middle third, then fold the remaining third over the top, like folding a letter.
- Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again to a 12×18 inch rectangle. Repeat the folding process.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill the butter.
- Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, chilling the dough for 30 minutes between each turn.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a baking pan or muffin tin with butter.
- After the final chill, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes or fit into a muffin tin.
- Let the shaped dough rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown and the sugar has caramelized.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy the buttery, flaky layers!
Notes
Use the best quality salted butter for optimal flavor. Keep the butter chilled to ensure flaky layers. You can shape the dough into rolls, use muffin tins, or make a large round cake. Allow ample time for the dough to rise and chill between turns.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pastry
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 35
