Cheater Kouign Amann Recipe (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).

Wrap the butter in the dough: Remove the butter from the fridge and transfer it to the middle of the dough. Fold one half of the dough over the butter and fold the other half on top, like folding a letter. Roll it out slightly to press the layers together, then fold it again into thirds.

Set a baking rack in a baking sheet, and flip the kouign-amann onto it, brush with the remaining syrup, sprinkle the top with a pinch of fine salt, and allow to cool slightly. Slide to a serving platter with the cross side down. Serve the kouign-amann in wedges while still warm.

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.

Eater notes that croissant dough contains milk and butter, but kouign amann dough does not. It is, rather, a “simple mixture of yeast, flour, salt, and water, with no fat or sweetener,” according to Eater. Kouign amann means “butter cake” in Breton, a Celtic language spoken in Brittany.

Timing is key when rolling, folding and letting your kouign amann rise. If you do want to make these ahead of time to freeze and bake later, make the dough, do the first 2 folds and then freeze, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before continuing with the folds that use sugar.

Kouign-amann are best the day they're baked, but if you have leftovers, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat in a 300° oven 5 minutes.

Sold as “Le Cube” at Le Deli Robuchon, cube croissants are also marketed as croissant cubes, cubic croissants, cube danishes, or square croissants.

A good kouign amann is all about contrast: a crispy crust (with at least one super-caramelized side) versus a soft interior that's sweet but not too sweet. There should be a lick of salt, too, and some yeasty complexity from the dough itself.

Work the dough as little as you can. Don't touch it until you know what your next steps will be. Serve a slice of kouign-amann with a cup of coffee for an ideal breakfast or afternoon snack.

When to eat kouign-amann? ›

Chez Ty Kouign à Minihy-Tréguier and on the markets on the Pink Granite Coast, kouign-amann is enjoyed at any time of day!

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.

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.

If you're not one to shy away from a pastry challenge, this one's for you. Pâte feuilletée, the French word for puff pastry which translates to layered dough, is made with flour, water and butter and it does not contain any kind of leavening agent.