Last weekend’s kouign amanns had the right taste, more about but they weren’t pretty.  Since pastries are first eaten with the eyes, order I knew that I’d be in the kitchen again.  Plus, I really like kouign amann – evil carmelized pastries that they are.

While the recipe is easy, I also found that resting the dough to be slightly awkward.  In the fridge or freezer, the sugar melts and the simple syrup penetrates the dough.   After baking, each layer is encrusted in caramel.   However, layers aren’t as distinct and pastries were a little dense for me.

This time around, I made the dough, fold in the butter, cut and shape, proof for 30 minutes, and then put it in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Kouign Amann Recipe (adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe)

Makes 6 koiugn amann Breton butter cakes.

Ingredients:

• 260 g all-purpose flour
• 4 g instant yeast
• 4 g kosher salt
• 175 g tepid water
• 150 g sugar, divided into 50g batches
• 1 stick salted butter, sliced horizontally into 9 planks

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Mix flour, yeast, and salt
• Mix in water until ingredients are incorporated
• Rest for 20 minutes and then fold the dough*
• While dough is resting, create a solid piece of butter by laying out the horizontal planks 3 x 3 on parchment paper.  Then take a rolling pin to flatten and make one cohesive block of butter 6″ x 12″ large.  Place back in fridge to harden up again.
• Rest for 20 minutes and then fold the dough
• Rest for 20 minutes and then roll dough into a 12″ x 12″ square
• Place the butter on the dough, and sprinkle with 50 g of sugar
• Fold the dough so that the butter is completely covered
• Sprinkle with 40 g of sugar, and then double fold the dough **
• Sprinkle with 10 g of sugar, and then book fold the dough
• Roll the dough out, sprinkle with 50 g of sugar and letter fold the dough
• Roll the dough out into a 8″ x 12″ rectangle
• Trim edges off
• Cut into 4″ x 4″ pieces, yielding 6 squares
• Fold the corners onto themselves and place the squares into a buttered/oil muffin pan.
• Proof for 30 minutes
• Bake for 20 minutes, rotating at the 1/2 way mark to promote even browning
• Take out of the oven, let cool a minute or two, then remove the kouign amann from the pan and cool on a wire rack

* Grab the end closest to you, stretch it over the top. Grab the end furthest from you, stretch it back over the top. Grap the right end, stretch it over the top to the left. And finally, grab the left end, stretch it over the top to the right. This is one fold. Once complete, flip the dough over so seam side is down.

** Double fold, book, and letter folds were done ala Shantilly Star’s recipe.