Kouign-Amann Recipe

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A single golden-brown kouign-amann with a caramelized, flaky top sits on a white plate, surrounded by scattered crumbs. More kouign-amanns are slightly blurred in the background on a cooling rack.

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4.84 from 6 votes

Kouign-Amann might have an intimidating name, but it's simply butter, sugar, and dough folded together in the most delicious way possible. Once you taste them, store-bought pastries will never compare!

Prep Time40

Cook Time40

Chill & Rise5 30

Total Time6 50

Servings: pastries

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

2 ½ to 3 ½ cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
½ teaspoons salt
1 cup warm water 120° - 130°
2 tablespoons butter, melted (European full-fat butter will yield the flakiest pastries!)
8 ounces cold butter
¾ cup superfine sugar divided
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Add warm water and melted butter to flour mixture. Beat 1 minute at medium speed.
Switch to the dough hook and gradually mix in remaining flour to make a smooth dough, adding more or less flour as necessary. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.
While dough rises, make butter block. Put butter in a quart size zipper bag and with a rolling pin, roll out in to a 6-inch square. Place in the fridge to chill.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 8-inch square. Place the butter in the center of the dough diagonally, so that each side of butter faces a corner of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter to enclose like an envelope.
First turn: Roll the dough into a 18 x 6-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the middle, then fold the top third of the dough over, like folding a letter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Second turn: Turn the dough so the open end is on the right (like opening a book) and roll the dough into a 18 x 6-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the middle, then fold the top third of the dough on top of the bottom third. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Third turn: Rotate the dough so the open end is on the right and roll the dough into a 18 x 6-inch rectangle. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the middle, then fold the top third of the dough on top of the bottom third. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Fourth turn: Rotate the dough so the open end is on the right and roll the dough into a 18 x 6-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with ½ cup superfine sugar and sea salt. Press lightly with the rolling pin to help it stick. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the middle, then fold the top third of the dough on top of the bottom third. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar and cut the dough into 12 squares.
Grease a 12-cup muffin pan well with butter. For each square, pull the four corners towards the center, so it looks like a four-leaf clover. Press the corners together and place in a muffin cup. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar.
Cover the kouign amann loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes or until slightly puffed up.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the pastries for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown. Cover with foil halfway through to prevent burning.
Remove from the oven and cool for several minutes in the pan. Use a spatula or butter knife to loosen the pastries from the muffin cups and place on a wire rack to cool.
Do not let the pastries cool in the pan or they will be difficult to remove!

Notes

Flavor Variations: Traditional kouign-amann uses only sugar and salt, but subtle additions like vanilla extract or orange zest work well. Get creative and try some of your favorite flavorings, but avoid overpowering flavors that compete with the butter and caramelized sugar.

Equipment Alternatives: A stand mixer makes dough easier, but hand mixing works equally well. A French rolling pin provides better lamination control, and parchment paper can substitute for plastic wrap during resting.

Scaling Options: This recipe doubles well for larger gatherings, though you may need to work in batches during rolling.

Storage

Store in at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition