The Best Recipe for Kouign-Amann - MY 100 YEAR OLD HOME (2024)

Desserts | Recipes

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Kouign-amann is a french pastry with a croissant-like dough, laminated with butter and sugar for a flaky, rich treat with a caramelized outer crust. This is a perfect breakfast pastry or afternoon snack and today we are sharing the recipe.

It’s Friday and I am back in the kitchen. My good friend Chef Monique Chan is here and she is teaching us how to make kouign-amann. The kouign-amannis pronounced “queen a-mahn” and is from Brittany, France. The name comes from the Breton language words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The kouign-amann is part sticky bun and part sugared croissant, with layer after layer of buttery, flaky pastry on the inside. It has a caramelized and a slightly-burnt sugar on the outside.

Video

The complete recipe and video are listed below. The video shows how to make this beautiful dessert from start to finish.

View the video here.

I would like to introduce Chef Monique Chan. Since graduating as valedictorian of her pastry school in Paris, Monique has ceaselessly pursued excellence, working in renowned bakeries (Dominique Ansel Bakery), five-star hotels (Le Bristol Paris) and multiple Michelin starred restaurants (Epicure, The French Laundry). These achievements culminated in her role as Executive Pastry Chef of gastronomic restaurant Écriture in Hong Kong, which received two Michelin stars in a record-breaking seven months after opening.

To findMonique’s Instagram click hereand to findher blog The Real Chez Momo click here.

If you are enjoying my blog, you can sign up to receive my blog updates here. .

Be sure to check out the complete video which shows how to make this amazing dessert. You can find the video below.

Also, for previous recipes shared by Chef Monique, go to Pate a Choux Cream Puffs recipe with a Mousseline Cream and Raspberry filling, How to Make Pie Crust and Pear and Almond Cream Bourdaloue Pie,How to Make an Apple Tartand1-2-3 Basic Cake Recipe.

There are three steps to this recipe. The dough, the butter, and the sugar mix. To make the dough, mix the flour, ice water, salt, butter, and yeast. Form into a flat 8″ square and wrap in plastic wrap.

Use a rolling pin to shape the butter (between two pieces of parchment paper) into an 8-inch x 8-inch square. Use a dough scraper to straighten the sides, as necessary. Refrigerate.

Once refrigerated, place the butter inside the dough so that it forms a diamond within the square.

Next, you will lamintate the butter by rolling, folding and rotating three times. Watch the video for complete instructions.

Eventually, you will cut the dough and roll it into a croissant-like pastry.

You can see the layers of dough and sugar and how wonderful this will look when baked.

Yield: 10

Kouign-Amann

The Best Recipe for Kouign-Amann - MY 100 YEAR OLD HOME (12)

Thekouign-amannis pronounced "queen a-mahn" and is from Brittany, France. It's like a cross between a croissant and a palmier, with layer after layer of buttery, flaky pastry on the inside, yet caramelized with ever-so-slightly-burnt sugar on the outside.

Prep Time2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time1 hour

Total Time3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • DOUGH:
  • 400 g (3 cups and 3 tablespoons) bread flour
  • 236 g (1 cup) ice water
  • 10 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) salt
  • 14 g (1 tablespoon) butter
  • 5 g (scant two teaspoons) instant yeast
  • BUTTER BLOCK:
  • 339 g (3 sticks) butter
  • *NOTE: use a higher quality butter if possible for the butter block *
  • SUGAR MIX:
  • 250 g (1 1/4 cup) sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    1. Scale all the ingredients for the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes. The dough should come together at this time. Increase mixing speed to medium, and mix for another 15-20 minutes, until the dough has strong gluten development. (You should feel resistance when you pull on it.)
    2. Remove dough from the bowl, and form into a flat, 8-inch x 8-inch square before wrapping in plastic wrap. Freeze for ~ 1 hour, until very cold, and slightly hardened. Flip the dough halfway through, so that it is evenly chilled.
    3. In the meantime, combine sugar and salt; mix well, and set aside. In a folded over piece of parchment, use a rolling pin to shape the butter into an 8-inch x 8-inch square. Use a dough scraper to straighten the sides, as necessary. Refrigerate ~ 20 minutes, until firm but still pliable.
    4. Once the dough and butter are both sufficiently chilled, roll out the dough as necessary to even out the thickness, and ensure that it has the same dimensions as the butter block. Then, place the butter inside the dough so that it forms a diamond within the square. Fold the edges of the dough into the middle, completely enclosing the butter. Pinch seams together.
    5. Roll this square packet until it is three times as long, keeping roughly the same width. You will end up with an 8.5-inch x 24-inch rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds. This is called “the first turn.” Rotate 90 degrees, and repeat the process once more.
    6. After the second turn, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for ~ 10 minutes. Once cold, remove from the freezer and do one last fold, incorporating the sugar this time. (See video for details.)
    7. Rotate 90 degrees, and roll out the dough into a rectangle, 10 inches wide x 16 inches. Cut dough into 2-inch strips, and roll each one up before placing in a greased muffin tin, or greased ring mold.
    8. Let rise for 45-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake for 45-60 minutes until golden brown. Check bottoms to make sure that dough is fully cooked; they should be golden brown as well. Remove from the oven, and use tongs to carefully remove the kouign-amanns from their muffin tin, or molds. This step should be done immediately, or else the sugar will harden into a caramel, making it impossible to extract the kouign-amanns later. Bon appetit!

You can also use a muffin tin.

Monique made her own “ring molds” from heavy weight alumunim foil. There is a complete tutorial on the video to make these.

The dough is placed in the molds and baked until brown.

Don’t these look amazing?

The kouign-amann are a great breakfast or dessert pastry.

Pin the image below to your Recipe or Pastry boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!

For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome

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  1. None of the “subscribe” buttons are working so I am leaving my request to subscribe here. Thank you
    L. E.

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  2. I made this recipe today and it came out almost exactly like the picture! I wish I could add a photo here. I was inspired by National Kouign Amann Day on June 20th (but it took a few days to gather everything I needed). Thank you for this recipe – I watched the video and it was really helpful.

    Reply

    1. Oh I love this! Amazing Beverly, I wish I could see it too- so happy the video was helpful 🥰

      Reply

  3. Can these be injected with a filling? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Yes they can. I have seen pastry chefs fill it. Looks amazing

      Reply

  4. Have been searching for video on how to make these, to no avail. Has the video been taken down?

    Reply

  5. ,, Thanks for sharing this video and recipe.
    I made them today and they came out *perfect*.
    Thanks again 💐

    Reply

    1. Oh I’m so happy to hear that! You’re so welcome!

      Reply

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The Best Recipe for Kouign-Amann - MY 100 YEAR OLD HOME (2024)

FAQs

What is the fattest French pastry? ›

The Legend & History of the Kouign Amann

This queen hails from Brittany, a region in western France. It is a specialty from the town of Douarnenez in Finistère, Brittany, and originated around 1860. “Kouign Amann” is Breton for “butter cake” (simple, straight, and to the point — we like it).

What is the Kuen Aman pastry? ›

kouignoù-amann) is a sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough. It is a round multi-layered cake, originally made with bread dough (nowadays sometimes viennoiserie dough), containing layers of butter and incorporated sugar, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers.

What does kouign mean in French? ›

whose name is also typically Breton, "kouign" meaning cake and "amann" meaning butter. In order to make the most of its soft interior and its crunchy exterior made crunchy by the caramelisation of the sugar, it is advisable to taste the warm kouign-amann with a good glass of chouchen or a few pieces of apple.

What is the hardest to pronounce in French? ›

12 Most Difficult French Words To Pronounce
  • Chirurgien. ...
  • Vadrouiller. ...
  • Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobie. ...
  • Bouilloire. Pronunciation: boo-lwah. ...
  • Fauteuil. Pronunciation: foh-teuy. ...
  • Quincaillerie. Pronunciation: kahn-kay-yeh-ree. ...
  • Caoutchouc. Pronunciation: kowt-schuk. ...
  • Heureuse. Pronunciation: eu-reuh.
May 4, 2023

Which flour is best for pastry? ›

Plain flours are best for pastry because their gluten strands are relaxed while the stronger gluten in bread flours can cause pastry to shrink back. Warm pastry cooked in an oven that was not pre-heated can collapse as its water evaporates before the pastry cooks and hardens.

What not to do when making pastry? ›

If the dough is overworked, it can become tough and difficult to roll out. This can happen if the dough is kneaded too much or if too much flour is added during the rolling process. Shortcrust pastry can shrink during baking if it's not properly chilled beforehand or if it's rolled too thin.

What are four possible faults in pastry making? ›

Crumbly, Mealy (not flaky) Crust and//or Too Tender to Remove from Rolling Board
  • Low protein flour.
  • Too much fat.
  • Fat too soft (warm) or melted.
  • Fat cut in too finely.
  • Too little water.
  • Under-mixing after water is added.

Do French people eat pastries every day? ›

The French consume bread, butter, cheese, wine, pastries, and sweets on a regular, if not, daily basis.

What is the most popular pastry in the world? ›

1. Croissant. The croissant, a renowned French pastry, has a rich history dating back to a period of Viennese influence in France and is one of the most popular pastries.

What is a Brittany pastry? ›

The kouign-amann is pronounced "queen a-mahn" and is from Brittany, France. It's like a cross between a croissant and a palmier, with layer after layer of buttery, flaky pastry on the inside, yet caramelized with ever-so-slightly-burnt sugar on the outside.

What is the fattiest pastry in the world? ›

Some Bretons claim that this signature treat (which is pronounced “queen ah-MAHN”), made by artisans across the region, is the fattiest pastry in the world. Epicure & Culture calls the kouign-amann Brittany's equivalent to the Paris croissant.

What is the most famous Chinese pastry? ›

One of the most famous Chinese desserts is the classic egg tart, a delicious pastry consisting of a flaky outer shell with a creamy, but firm egg custard in the center. The origin of this traditional Chinese dessert is vague.

What do the French call puff pastry? ›

So where does puff pastry come from. Well it comes from France, where it is called pâte feuilletée. It was invented in 1645 by Claudius Gele, a pastry cook apprentice. He wanted to bake an improved bread for his father who was sick and was on a diet of flour, butter and water.

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