September 13, 2019 - 5:08am
Kouign Amman
After visiting my sister in France, I have become a Kouign Amman fan. I have tried several recipes.......a couple went to the round file. It is a challenge, for sure. I made one that was really good, but it was a recipe I googled when I visited her in May and for the life of me I cannot find it again. Sis says "well, they say that NOBODY can make it like the Bretons, and I believe it."
So, for your entertainment, here are a couple of my attempts. As you can see, one got a "bit" overdone..........old oven caused that. If anyone has a recipe I'd love to try it. Oops..........I can't seem to find how to put pix in my post.
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I love pastry... it’s a great challenge. This is one that i love but I’ve not yet mastered. Still buying at bakeries but some are dreadful versions so it’s taking a lot of sampling to find the best!
Have you seen this?
https://joepastry.com/category/pastry/kouign-amann/
Wow, I am loving this site. Great, simple instruction. Thanks for sharing.
That's a nifty informative website. Thanks chief!
You just to take a trip to France.............Brittany, specifically. LOL
The ones at B Patisserie in San Francisco are the best I've had. Would love to see this out of the dish.
Bouchon. For me the best so far from a high-volume bakery.
Haven't been yet. I think it's time to change Yountville to "Kellerville."
The recipe and photographs on David Lebovitz' site are clear and in the intro there are helpful tips:
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/long-live-the-k/
i make them all the time for markets here in ireland and they're gone so fast....i do mine based on a few recipes but make them as individual cakes rather than the traditional one...the lebovitz recipe is a good one and is where i started...this is a good help primarily cause its video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL3C3UozFsr6xbo283zKfRSKidS-hEvAOp&time_continue=1&v=XqVbT-xVrh0
ive tried them numerous ways for presentation but now do in small rings...i used to make them in muffin trays
If you know some french (or if your sister is willing to translate), I make this recipe fairly often & it always turns out BEAUTIFULLY. I’m especially fond of the smaller “kouignettes” all baked together, since it gives a good balance between crisp exterior and chewy interior.
It may take a few tries to perfect it, but it’s worth the effort. The main challenges I’ve faced were figuring out how much salt to add depending on the type of butter you use (I use 5-7g salt and either salted or demi-sel european-style cultured butter) & knowing how long and at what temperature to bake it so that the sugars caramelize nicely (it’s different for every oven).
The original recipe comes from a baker who was using left over bread dough. So if you know how to make bread, you are already ahead of the game. Then you get salted better, the only "real" butter used in Brittany, and that is all the salt you would need for the recipe. Then you will need a lot of sugar, I mean A LOT of it. Then you fold everything together, like for making croissants, and you must refrigerate regularly to solidify the butter, or you will get a mess. then fold again and again and add more sugar. Then you bake.
Their are many great recipes on Youtube, but the best are in French.
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Yeah, my French ain't what it used to be. LOL I could get around over there if I had LOTS of time........I can "usually" figure out the general gist if I can understand a couple or 3 words. I should really try one for Farmers Market here. I wonder how that would go over in an area heavily populated with those of Swiss descent??? (and I am one, but I LOVE Kouign Amman.)
Let us know the Farmers Market out come. I am very curious. I might do that as well around here (Kentucky). My local friends loved their Kouign Amann and want more of it.