The kouign-amann (pronounced "queen a-mahn")
hails from Brittany, France;
think of it as 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.
Made with leftover bread dough that was layered with local salted butter and sugar to create a rich, caramelized cake. Kouign means "butter" and amann means "cake." Contemporary bakers have created a flaky caramel-crusted interpretation that has taken the pastry world by storm.
Heather Cowan Orson Gygi cooking class 9.21.19, 10/10 highly recommend
Equipment:
Mixing Bowl
Measuring cups
Yard stick (i used a tape measurer)
rolling pin
sheet pan
muffin tin (12 cup, deep dish a bit better)
zip lock bags, 1 quart and a 3 XXL to proof if needed
Recipe:
3 cups (15 oz) bread flour
2 3/4 tsp. instant yeast (prefers gold label osmotolerant better with foods high in sugar)
1.5 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole milk Dairy Gold Best
2 Tbls. Sugar
4 Tbls. unsalted butter softened
Add all ingredients in mixing bowl and bring together, knead dough for about 2 minutes if using a mixer and 4 minutes by hand. You want a smooth dough but not developed. When you do the folds that will continue to develop the dough.
Place in a buttered bowl cover and place in the fridge for one hour. (or keep in saran wrap and store over night) If freezing dough add more yeast
"Note, the fat in the dough is the fat in the bowl" so if you have oil in the dough put oil in the bowl that you are proofing the dough.
remember:
10x10 lock (butter add like a baseball diamond)
1st 10x20
2nd 10x20
3rd 10x20
4th SUGAR FOLD 10x20
12x16 cut edges, cut into 12 squares, pinch/stuff
At this point take a quart size ziplock bag and mark 7 inches from the bottom draw a line. Take 2 cubes of European butter (8 ounces) cut in small pieces and place inside. (or unsalted in a pinch) Use a rolling pin and roll out filling the corners and going to the line. You need a smooth 7 inch square of butter. Place in the fridge.
After an hour take the dough out and butter block. You need the butter and the dough to be about the same temperature.
Take the dough and form a 10 in square using a rolling pin and your hands. Take the butter block and cutting the sides of the bag open place the square on the butter. The butter will be turned like a baseball diamond on the 10 inch square dough. Fold the dough sides into the middle to hide the butter and now it looks like an X looking piece of dough.
Turn and adding flour to the table as needed roll out into a 10x20 rectangle, the pinched seams will be facing up. You should already have the 10 inches so you just need to roll out the 20 inches. It is okay to roll top to bottom or side to side. Note, when rolling the dough do not roll over the ends roll up to but not over.
Fold into 1/3rd like a business letter. make sure your ends meet, cover with saran wrap and place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Using a marker put 1 2 3 numbering on the parchment with a sharpie. Place the dough on the pan cover and mark the 1 place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
You have completed one turn and locked in the butter.
Second Turn
Take the dough out and repeat, flour on the table, place the dough with the long seam to your right and the short seams away from you and the bottom one toward your belly.
Roll out to 10x20 brush off any excess flour and fold again 1/3rds like a business letter. Cross off the 2, cover and return to the fridge for additional 30 minutes.
Third Turn
Repeat the same process as you did for the second turn. Flour, dough down with long seam on your right short seam on top and bottom roll to 10x20 fold business letter. Cover cross off 3, return to fridge.
At this point it's a good idea to prepare your muffin tin. Liberally butter and then sugar each section of the tin and place aside. Spray or butter the top of the tin as well in case the pastry climbs out and rests on the top of the tin.
Fourth and Final Fold / Sugar Fold
AT THIS POINT DO NOT FLOUR THE TABLE. IN FACT PUT ALL FLOUR AWAY. OR USE ANOTHER COUNTER SPACE.
Instead place a generous amount of sugar on the table and place the dough on top. Add more sugar to the top of the dough and roll out to the same 10x20, you can also sprinkle a small amount of sea salt (fleur de del) over the dough 1/2 tsp. Fold the dough the same business letter and turn.
AT THIS POINT DO NOT PUT BACK IN THE FRIDGE. SUGAR ATTRACTS WATER AND BECOMES LIQUID SO YOU WILL NOT COOL THE DOUGH YOU WILL CONTINUE ON...
NOW, Roll the dough into a 12x16 square (roll a bit larger since it shrinks a bit during the cut the edges process!) using sugar to roll out the dough, The dough will fight you a little, so let it rest for a few minutes. Take a pizza cutter and carefully cut each edge trimming the dough, this will allow the edges to open when you are baking. When you have the 12x16 cut into 12 pieces. On the 16 side cut at 4,8,12,16. On the 12 side cut into thirds.
Optional roll the dough to 16x16 and cut into 16 pieces instead of 12 and use a regular muffin tin. A regular muffin tin will work just fine with the 12 count as well.
Take a piece and bring opposite corners together and pinch well. Take the remaining two corners and add to the pinches corners in the center. Like a small purse. Place in the prepared tin. Repeat until all 12 are in the tin. Press down well into the bottom of the tin.
Carefully brush with melted butter or egg wash, and add a final sprinkling of sugar.
Place in a 3 XXXziplock bag or other proofing bag, with a large glass of boiling water. Close. These only need about 30 minutes to raise. (4 XL can get at walmart...faster and retains more moisture. - one lady in the class had a proofing drawer!)
Preheat oven to 375
They should look puffy and you should see layers on the dough.
Place in the the oven and bake for 15 min. WITH a half sheet or full cookie sheet under your tin. This will help the bottoms not brown so much and turn the oven down to 350 and bake an additional 10-15 min. with out the cookie sheet. The tops should be golden brown and the center are still pale. Take out. (turn dark fast if not checked)
They can only stay in the tin for about 3 minutes. Take out and place upside down on a cooling rack on top of your parchment pan. The sugar on the bottom needs to harden and this will help them not collapse. After cooling for a little turn over and enjoy.
There is no need to add additional butter.
If the tops open you can add a little lemon curd, jam, or caramel.
Enjoy
I loved this class and needed this recipe captured for all time. I hope to really master these and want to try these in miny muffin tins as well and add caramel or jam for a holiday season treat!!! Good European Butter recommended found at Orson Gygi, Winco and Costco... Who wants to make with me?? Very Easy Dough recipe that I like how you can make and put in your fridge and complete the next day - It was great to make a batch in class, and have 2 dozen rolls to make at home where I know feel like I can do these . . .
