Description
Kouign Amann is a classic French pastry that features a buttery, flaky dough layered with sugar to create a caramelized, sweet crust. This recipe involves making a yeasted dough, layering it with a block of chilled butter, and folding it multiple times to create delicate layers, then baking until golden and crisp on the outside with a tender, rich interior.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 10.5 ounce All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 7 fluid ounce Water
- 1 ounce Unsalted Butter (melted for dough)
- As needed Canola Oil (for greasing)
Butter Block
- 9 ounce Unsalted Butter (chilled, for laminating)
Finishing
- Granulated Sugar (generous amounts for folding and topping)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Combine all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, salt, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 1 ounce melted unsalted butter and mix at low speed for 2 minutes, then medium speed for 4 minutes until the dough forms a smooth, uniform ball. Drizzle a little canola oil in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Make the butter block: Place the remaining 9 ounces of unsalted butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, beat and roll the butter into a thin 5-inch square block. Chill it in the refrigerator until the dough is ready.
- Roll and encase butter: Turn out the risen dough onto a floured surface and roll it into an 8-inch square. Place the butter block diagonally on the dough’s center so one butter side faces a dough corner. Fold the dough corners over the butter to completely envelop it.
- Roll and fold (first turn): Roll the dough with the enclosed butter into a 16×8 inch rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds by bringing one short side to the middle and folding the other over it. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Repeat turns: Repeat the rolling, folding into thirds, and chilling process two more times for a total of three turns. This creates the signature flaky layers of the kouign amann.
- Sugar folding: After the third turn and chilling, roll out dough again into a 16×8 inch rectangle. Generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the surface and fold into thirds as before.
- Shape and cut: Roll the dough out into a 16×12 inch square. Cut into 12 equal squares by making four equal cuts along the long side and three equal cuts across the short side.
- Prepare muffin tin: Generously brush a 12-well muffin tin with canola oil. Place a dough square into each well. Bring the corners of the square toward the center, shaping each kouign amann to resemble a four-leaf clover. Sprinkle the tops generously with sugar.
- Final rise: Allow the shaped kouign amann to rise in the muffin tin for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the kouign amann for 35-40 minutes until they are golden brown and flaky on the outside.
- Cool and serve: Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately with coffee or tea. Leftovers can be toasted and kept for up to a day.
Notes
- Use cold butter to create defined layers and ensure a flaky texture.
- Be generous with sugar during folding and topping to achieve the signature caramelized crust.
- Maintain even rolling and folding to develop the lamination properly.
- Let the dough rest and chill between folds to relax gluten and keep butter cold.
- Canola oil is used to grease the tin and dough bowl to prevent sticking.
- Fresh yeast and accurate measurement help ensure proper rise and texture.
- Serve kouign amann fresh for the best flakiness; reheat by toasting leftovers gently.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Kouign Amann, French pastry, laminated dough, buttery pastry, caramelized sugar, flaky pastry
