French cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Kouign-Amann

Breton butter cake made from laminated yeast dough, whose sugar melts into caramel as it bakes.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 400g flour
• 250g butter
• 200g sugar
• 15g fresh yeast
• 250ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, knead with the flour and sea salt for 8 min. into a smooth dough, and let rise, covered, for 1 hour, until visibly increased in size.
2. Roll out the dough into a rectangle of 40 × 20 cm, distribute 200g cold butter in thin slices over two-thirds of it and fold the dough like a letter.
3. Roll out the dough again, sprinkle with a third of the sugar and fold again; repeat the whole process twice more, chilling for 30 min. between each turn so the butter doesn't leak out.
4. Roll out the dough 1cm thick, cut into 8 squares, fold each corner in toward the center and place into a muffin tin generously greased with the remaining butter.
5. Let rise, covered, for 45 min., brush with the beaten egg yolk and sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the top.
6. Bake at 200°C (400°F) conventional heat for 30–35 min., until the sugar around the edges has caramelized to a dark color, and unmold immediately – otherwise the cakes will stick.