Kouign-amann

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Combine 300 g all-purpose flour, 4 g instant yeast and 6 g salt, pour in 190 g water along with 20 g softened butter, and knead for about eight minutes. Knead just until smooth but not overly elastic, which makes the laminating easier later on. The dough is ready when the surface is glossy, springy and no longer sticks to your hands.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly and leave it somewhere warm for about forty-five minutes. This first bit of yeast activity builds flavor and makes the dough softer to roll. It's ready when it has grown by about half its original size.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Press the dough flat, roll it into a square about two centimeters thick, wrap it well and refrigerate for thirty minutes. Chilled dough is close to the temperature of the butter, so the two layers roll out together without breaking. The dough is ready when it's cold all the way through and slightly firm.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Place 200 g cold butter between two sheets of parchment paper, then pound and roll it into a flat square about 15 cm on each side and return it to the fridge. Butter that is pliable yet still cold spreads into an unbroken layer inside the dough. The butter is ready when it bends without snapping and without turning soft and greasy.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Roll the dough into a square one and a half times the size of the butter block, set the butter diagonally in the center, then fold the four corners of the dough over it like an envelope and pinch the seams closed. Fully sealed butter won't poke out as you roll. The packet is ready when the butter sits snugly inside and all the seams are firmly sealed.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Roll the packet into a rectangle three times as long as it is wide, fold it in thirds like a letter, wrap it and refrigerate for thirty minutes. This first fold, without sugar, lays the foundation for even butter layers. The dough is right when the edges are neat and square and you can't see any broken patches of butter.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Sprinkle half of the 200 g sugar over the work surface and the dough, roll it into a rectangle and fold it in thirds again, chill for thirty minutes, then repeat with the remaining sugar. Sugar pressed between the layers melts into caramel in the oven. The dough is ready when the sugar coats the surface completely and you can still clearly see the layers after rolling.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   On a sugared work surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about six to seven millimeters thick, then use a sharp knife to cut it into twelve squares about 10 cm on each side. Work quickly, because the sugar draws in moisture and makes the dough sticky. The squares are ready when the cut edges are crisp and the layers clearly visible.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Brush the cups of a muffin tin with butter (to taste) and sprinkle 30 g sugar into each cup, then fold the four corners of each square into the center and set it in the tin. The sugar on the bottom gives the pastries a crisp caramel crust all the way around. They're ready when each one sits snugly in its cup like a four-petaled flower.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Loosely cover the tin with plastic wrap and let the pastries rise at cool room temperature for about forty minutes, preheating the oven to 200°C in the meantime. The proofing spot must not be too warm, or the butter will melt out before the pastries go into the oven. They're ready when they look slightly puffy and a fingertip pressed into the dough leaves a dent that springs back slowly.

    Suggested time: about 40 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Bake at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes, with an extra tray on the rack below to catch any butter and sugar that bubbles over. The high heat caramelizes the sugar into an amber crust. They're done when the tops and edges are a deep mahogany brown and the sugar is bubbling around the base.

    Bake at 200°C for about 25 to 30 minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Take the tin out, wait a minute or two, then use tongs to lift each pastry onto parchment paper while still hot. As the caramel cools it hardens and glues the pastries to the tin. They're finished when the bottoms are coated in glossy, crunchy caramel and the pastries stand steady on the paper.

    Mark step 12 as done