Kouign Amman - A Sweet-Salty Pastry Experience

 I first heard of Kouign Amman while listening to an episode of The Earful Tower, a French-Anglo podcast that I recommend if you're looking for English content about France. I had the opportunity to try one of the pastries, which hail from Brittany, when I was in France. I had a little mixup when I placed my order, having asked for a 'Kin-amman', which was my recollection of the pronunciation, and the Boulanger thought I was asking for a cinnamon roll and started to give me one of those instead. She helpfully corrected my pronunciation, so now I will not forget: it's 'Quinn-amman'!

Kougin Amman is a buttery croissant-like dough that's baked either in a swirled, rolled shape, or in a muffin tin. Sugar is sprinkled between layers of yeasty, laminated dough, and a sprinkle of fine sea salt is added during the final fold, making these a kind of salted caramel croissant (to use familiar American terminology). But they're more than that--they're a unique and delicious pastry experience that you don't find all that commonly here in the states.

Luckily, they're not that difficult to make at home. Just make sure to chill your dough sufficiently between each fold to keep the butter from melting into the pastry. The final product is rustic enough that the presentation is kind of forgiving. You won't even care what they look like as you scarf them down. They're that delicious.

Kouign Amman

Recipe adapted slightly from the Kitchn. I would up the sugar added for more a more caramel-y finished product and have slightly reduced the salt called for in the dough, opting to add a little more flaky salt between the layers instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water, room temperature 
• 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast 
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold salted butter, plus extra to grease the pans
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided, plus extra for shaping the pastries
• flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl, if kneading by hand. Let stand for a few minutes to dissolve. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until a floury, shaggy dough is formed. 
2. Knead the dough by hand against the counter for 5 to 8 minutes until smooth. (This is the method I went with.) Alternatively, knead the dough with the dough hook attachment at low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is slightly tacky but smooth. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and knead until the dough is smooth. If the dough feels very stiff and dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and knead until the dough is smooth. Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rise for one hour, until doubled in size.
3. Once the dough has doubled, place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. This is a good place to take a long break in the process, such as overnight. Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll out and prevents the butter from melting in the following steps.
4. When you are ready to roll out the dough, pound 2 sticks cold salted butter. Sprinkle your counter with a tablespoon or two of the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Lay the butter on top and sprinkle with another tablespoon or two of flour. Gently begin tapping the top of the butter with your rolling pin, and then pound more forcefully once the flour sticks to the butter. This step softens the butter enough to roll it out with the dough, but while keeping it chilled — warm butter will be absorbed by the dough rather than forming layers.
5. Pound the butter flat, then fold it in half using the pastry scraper. Try not to touch the butter with your hands. Pound the butter flat and fold it in half again. Repeat another 2 to 3 times until the butter is very supple, flattens within a few hits of the rolling pin, and folds easily. Sprinkle with additional flour as necessary to prevent the butter from sticking or smearing on the counter or rolling pin.
6. Pound the butter into a rectangle roughly 6 inches by 10 inches. Transfer for a baking sheet and refrigerate while you roll out the dough. (Do not refrigerate the butter for longer than 15 minutes or you will need to pound it to suppleness again.)
7. Sprinkle your counter with flour and transfer the dough on top. Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 inches wide by 20 inches long.
8. Remove the butter from the fridge and transfer it to the middle of the dough. The long side of the packet should cross the shorter side of the dough so you can fold one half of the dough over the butter and fold the other half on top so there are two layers of dough on top of the butter. Roll it out slightly to press the layers together, then fold it again into thirds, this time folding from the top down and the bottom up. This fold will make the dough 'letter' smaller than it was previously.
9. Rotate the package of dough and butter 90 degrees so that the narrower, open end is facing you, like you're about to read a book. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 12 inches wide by 20 inches long. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like folding a letter.
10. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the open end is again facing you, like a book. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 12 inches wide by 20 inches long. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like folding a letter. You have now completed 2 turns.
11. Chill for 15 minutes after the first turn if the dough is getting too soft. If it does not get too warm, you can complete the first two turns at once. After the second turn, chill the dough for 30 minutes, but no longer or the butter will harden too much.
12. Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to a well-floured counter. With the open, shorter end facing you, roll the dough out to a rectangle 12 inches wide by 20 inches long. Sprinkle it all over with 3/4 cups of sugar and press lightly with the rolling pin to help it stick. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like folding a letter.
13. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the open end is again facing you, like a book. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 12 inches wide by 20 inches long. Sprinkle it all over with the remaining 3/4 cups of sugar and press lightly with the rolling pin to help it stick. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like folding a letter. If any sugar falls out, press it back into the folds. You have now completed 4 total turns.
14. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
15. Rub the insides of the muffin tins or pastry rings amply with butter. Arrange the pastry rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside. Pastry rings will create a more caramelized finished product as the sugar will run down the layers and collect at the bottom.
16. Sprinkle the counter with sugar. Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to the counter. Sprinkle a little additional sugar over the top of the dough. Roll the dough out to a rectangle roughly 8 inches wide by 24 inches long and roughly 1/4-inch thick.
17. Slice the dough down the length to form two strips that are 4 inches wide by 24 inches long. Cut each strip into 4-inch squares to create 12 squares. Fold the corners of each square toward the center. Pick up each pastry and tuck it firmly into the muffin tins or pastry rings. If cooking in a muffin tin, it will feel like you're squishing the pastry; this is ok.
18. → Make Ahead Tip: At this point, the kouign amann can be covered and refrigerated overnight. The next day, let the pastries come to room temperature and rise for about an hour before baking.
19. Cover the kouign amann loosely with plastic and let them rise until slightly puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
20. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
21. Set the muffin tin on a baking sheet to catch butter drips during baking. Place the kouign amann in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350°F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through baking. Pastries are finished when the tops are deep golden and the tips look like they might be just starting to burn.
22. Transfer the pan of kouign amann to a cooling rack and let the pastries stand until they are just cool enough to handle. They should still be very warm or they will stick to the pans. Gently wiggle them out of the muffin tins or pastry molds, and set them on the cooling rack to finish cooling completely. 
23. Kouign amann can be served as soon as they are cool enough not to burn your mouth or you can let them cool to room temperature. They are best if served the same day they are made.