quick sweet recipes: The Kouign Amann Is A Challenging Dessert To Make, But This Guide Makes It Possible

The kouign amann is a round, multilayered cake made of laminated dough. It was created by Yves-Rena Scordia, around 1860, in the town of Douarnenez in Finistere, Brittany. The name comes from the Breton language words kouign meaning cake and amann meaning butter. It is often described as the fattiest pastry in all of Europe. It’s a slightly challenging dessert to make and not for the weak hearted. But if you get it right, it's going to be absolutely worth the effort. So try making this special, unique dessert yourself with this quick sweet recipe and enjoy the many flavors and textures that will dance in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• 12 gm active dry yeast, not instant
• 175 ml tepid water
• 260 gm all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 200 gm sugar, which will be divided later
• Plus additional sugar for rolling out the pastry
• 110 gm8 salted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
• 3 tablespoons additional salted butter, melted

Directions:

• Add water to a bowl and dissolve the yeast in it. Add a pinch of sugar to it too. Stir briefly, then let it stand for 10 minutes until it's foamy.
• Then add in the flour, a little bit at a time. Add some, mix it in, then add more flour and so on. Then add the salt too. The dough should end up being soft but not sticky.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour and place the dough on it. Knead it with your hands for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. The dough should not stick to your hands.
• Now grease a bowl with melted butter. Put the dough in the bowl and cover it. Let it rest in a warm area for about an hour.
• In the meantime, line a plate with plastic wrap. Set aside.
• On a floured countertop, roll the dough into a rectangle. The dough will be sticky and slightly difficult to handle. Use a pastry scraper to shape the dough and add more flour if it's really sticky.
• Add the cubed butter onto the middle of the dough and sprinkle sugar on top too. Hold the left side of the dough, lift it and fold it over the centre. Then do the same with the right side too. It should be like a three level pastry.
• Sprinkle sugar on the entire length of the dough and then fold it into thirds again, like before.
• Place the dough on the plastic covered plate and chill it in the fridge for an hour.
• Wipe down the flour from the countertop and dust it with a liberal handful of sugar instead.
• Now remove the dough from teh fridge and place it on the sugar covered countertop. Top the dough with more sugar and press it in gently with your hands. Then roll it into a rectangle then fold it into thirds again. Let it sit in the fridge for another hour.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
• Brush a pie plate with butter.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it into a circle similar to the size of the baking pan. If it's too sticky, dust some sugar on top.
• Once it's rolled out, lift the dough and place it into the pan. Be gentle since it can easily break otherwise. Sprinkle more sugar on top and drizzle a spoon of melted butter on top.
• Bake for about 40 minutes. The exact time will depend on the machine you're using. You know it's done when the top is deeply caramelised. Let it sit for a few minutes, release it and slide the cake onto a cooling rack.
• Serve cool.

Notes, tips and tricks:

• If you have the time, instead of one hour, refrigerate the dough overnight.
• Roll out the dough quickly. Work fast because you don't want to let the dough get too warm.
• Have a metal scraper on hand since the dough is going to be really sticky and you need help prying it off the counter top and folding and turning it around.
• The kouign amann is traditionally made in pastry rings, since they give the best dark, caramelized bottoms. But if you have muffin tins instead, that also works.