Kouign-Amann
Kouign-Amann is a caramelized pastry from Brittany made with laminated dough, butter, and sugar that creates crispy, glossy layers with a tender interior.
260g
1tsp
1tsp
160ml
softened, for greasing150g
150g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 260g | — | — | |
| 2 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 3 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 4 | | 160ml | — | — | |
| 5 | | 150g | softened, for greasing | — | |
| 6 | | 150g | — | — | |
| 7 | 1pinch | — | — |
Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl.
Plain flour · 250 g
Add the instant yeast to the flour.
Instant yeast · 1 tspAdd the salt to the flour, keeping it on the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast.
Salt · 1 tspPour in the water, which should be lukewarm — roughly body temperature.
Water · 160 mlStir everything together with a wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough comes together.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and knead firmly with the heel of your hand, pushing, folding and turning, for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back when poked.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.
Leave the dough to prove at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven
Brush the inside of a 20 cm round cake tin generously with softened butter, making sure to coat the sides.
Unsalted butter · 10 g
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down firmly with your fist to knock out the gas.
Plain flour · 10 gRoll the dough out into a rough circle about 30 cm across, using a rolling pin.
Cut the cold butter into thin slices.
Unsalted butter · 140 g
Scatter the butter slices over the dough round, leaving a 2 cm border, then scatter the caster sugar evenly over the butter.
Caster sugar · 150 gSliced unsalted butter · step 14Pinch the flaky sea salt over the sugar.
Fold the edges of the dough circle in towards the centre to enclose the butter and sugar, then fold the whole thing in half and then in half again, as though folding a letter, so the filling is sealed inside — it will look ragged and that is fine.
Roll the folded package out again, gently but firmly, into a circle just large enough to fit the tin — the sugar and butter will begin to burst through the dough and that is correct.
Lift the dough round carefully into the greased tin, tucking any torn edges underneath.
Leave the dough to rest in the tin for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
Slide the tin into the oven using oven gloves.
Bake for 35 minutes until the top is a deep amber caramel and the edges are bubbling and golden.
Remove the tin from the oven using oven gloves and set it on a wire rack.
Leave the kouign-amann to cool in the tin for exactly 5 minutes — the caramel must still be liquid enough to release, so do not leave it longer.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 250 g | | Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl.⏱ 10sResultPlain flour |
| 2 | 1 tsp | | Add the instant yeast to the flour.⏱ 5sResultPlain flour and instant yeast |
| 3 | 1 tsp | | Add the salt to the flour, keeping it on the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast.⏱ 5sResultPlain flour and instant yeast and salt |
| 4 | 160 ml | | Pour in the water, which should be lukewarm — roughly body temperature.⏱ 10sResultPlain flour mixture |
| 5 | — | | Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until a rough, shaggy dough comes together.⏱ 30sResultShaggy dough |
| 6 | — | | Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and knead firmly with the heel of your hand, pushing, folding and turning, for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back when poked.⏱ 10 minResultSmooth dough |
| 7 | — | | Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the mixing bowl.⏱ 10sResultSmooth dough |
| 8 | — | | Cover the bowl tightly with cling film.⏱ 10s |
| 9 | — | | Leave the dough to prove at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.⏱ 1 hrResultRisen dough |
| 10 | — | | Preheat the oven⏱ 15 min |
| 11 | 10 g | | Brush the inside of a 20 cm round cake tin generously with softened butter, making sure to coat the sides.⏱ 20s |
| 12 | 10 g | | Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down firmly with your fist to knock out the gas.⏱ 15sResultDeflated dough |
| 13 | — | | Roll the dough out into a rough circle about 30 cm across, using a rolling pin.⏱ 1 minResultRolled dough roundused in step 17 |
| 14 | 140 g | | Cut the cold butter into thin slices.⏱ 1 minResultSliced unsalted butter |
| 15 | 150 g | | Scatter the butter slices over the dough round, leaving a 2 cm border, then scatter the caster sugar evenly over the butter.⏱ 45sResultRolled dough roundused in step 17 |
| Sliced unsalted butterstep 14 | |||
| 16 | 1 pinch | | Pinch the flaky sea salt over the sugar.⏱ 5sResultFlaky sea salt |
| 17 | Rolled dough roundstep 13 | | Fold the edges of the dough circle in towards the centre to enclose the butter and sugar, then fold the whole thing in half and then in half again, as though folding a letter, so the filling is sealed inside — it will look ragged and that is fine.⏱ 1 minResultFolded dough package |
| Caster sugarstep 15 | |||
| Flaky sea saltstep 16 | |||
| 18 | — | | Roll the folded package out again, gently but firmly, into a circle just large enough to fit the tin — the sugar and butter will begin to burst through the dough and that is correct.⏱ 1 minResultLayered dough round |
| 19 | Layered dough roundstep 18 | | Lift the dough round carefully into the greased tin, tucking any torn edges underneath.⏱ 15sResultLayered dough round |
| 20 | — | | Leave the dough to rest in the tin for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.⏱ 10 minResultRested kouign-amann dough |
| 21 | — | | Slide the tin into the oven using oven gloves.⏱ 10sResultRested kouign-amann dough |
| 22 | — | | Bake for 35 minutes until the top is a deep amber caramel and the edges are bubbling and golden.⏱ 35 minResultBaked kouign-amann |
| 23 | — | | Remove the tin from the oven using oven gloves and set it on a wire rack.⏱ 10sResultBaked kouign-amann |
| 24 | — | | Leave the kouign-amann to cool in the tin for exactly 5 minutes — the caramel must still be liquid enough to release, so do not leave it longer.⏱ 5 minResultSlightly cooled kouign-amann |
| Total Time | 2 hr 13 min | ||
A batch eaten a portion at a time — about 4 portions. Serve what is wanted now and keep the rest.
- Place a serving plate upside-down over the tin, then flip both together in one confident movement so the caramelised top faces upward on the plate — do this quickly and carefully as the caramel is very hot.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 655kcal | |
| 8g | |
| 31g | |
| 19g | |
| 88g | |
| 38g | |
| 2g | |
| 624mg |
Kouign-Amann
Kouign-Amann is a caramelized pastry from Brittany made with laminated dough, butter, and sugar that creates crispy, glossy layers with a tender interior.
What you’ll doYou will mix a simple dough and leave it to rise for an hour. Once doubled, you'll roll it out, scatter cold butter and sugar over it, fold it like a letter to seal in the filling, then roll it again before baking. The pastry will bake for 35 minutes until deeply caramelised, then you'll turn it out onto a plate while the caramel is still hot enough to flow.
Ingredients
- Plain flour260 g
- Instant yeast1 tsp
- Salt1 tsp
- Water160 ml
- Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing150 g
- Caster sugar150 g
- Flaky sea salt1 pinch