Kouign-amann

Kouign-amann
Kouign amann pastry
Type Cake
Place of origin Brittany
Region or state Douarnenez, Finistère
Main ingredients Dough, butter, sugar

Kouign-amann (pronounced [ˌkwiɲ aˈmãn]; pl. kouignoù-amann) is a Breton cake, described in the New York Times as "the fattiest pastry in all of Europe."[1] It is a round multi-layered cake, originally made with bread dough (nowadays sometimes viennoiserie dough), containing layers of butter and sugar folded in, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers. The cake is slowly baked until the butter puffs up the dough (resulting in the layered aspect of it) and the sugar caramelizes. The effect is similar to a muffin-shaped, caramelized croissant.

History

Kouign-amann is a speciality of the town of Douarnenez in Finistère, Brittany, where it originated around 1860. The invention is attributed to Yves-René Scordia (1828–1878).

Recipe

Individual cake

The strict recipe of Douarnenez requires a ratio of 40 percent dough, 30 percent butter, and 30 percent sugar.[2] Traditionally, kouign-amann is baked as a large cake and served in slices, although recently, especially in North America, individual cupcake-sized pastries (kouignettes) have become more popular.

The name derives from the Breton language words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The Welsh equivalent is the etymologically identical cacan menyn, literally 'cake (of) butter'.

Popularity

In 2014, the BBC aired an episode of The Great British Bake Off [3] featuring the kouign amann. In 2015, it had also increased in popularity in the United States with notable bakeries in New York,[4] Washington D.C.,[2] Boston[5] and San Francisco highlighting the pastry.[6][7][8] The Dominique Ansel Bakery, home of the trendy cronut, sells a version of kouign amann called the DKA.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Spiegel, Brendan. "A Pastry From Brittany Making Waves Stateside". In Transit Blog. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  2. 1 2 Krystal, Becky. "Meet the kouign-amann, the caramelized French pastry we're loving right now". Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  3. ↑ https://www.pbs.org/food/features/great-british-baking-show-episode-7-pastries/
  4. ↑ "Better Than a Cronut: How to Master Kouign-Amann". Eater. Feb 27, 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  5. ↑ Zwirn, Lisa (30 June 2015). "A 150-year-old pastry no one ever heard of - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  6. ↑ Irwin, Heather (9 July 2015). "BiteClub: Meet the new cronut, the Kouign Amann". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  7. ↑ Lucchesi, Paolo (19 June 2015). "B. Patisserie will be full of kouign amann on Saturday". Inside Scoop SF. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
  8. ↑ Alburger, Carolyn (October 3, 2011). "Croissant, Dethroned; All Hail Kouign-Amann | 7x7". 7x7.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22. Now San Franciscans can find the rare treat at several cafes around town, and Wood has had to put a hold on new accounts because his little bakery can't keep up with the demand. So what the heck is kouign-amann, you ask? Let's start by saying your morning croissant is about to get upstaged in the pastry case.
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