 Kouign-amann pastry | |
| Type | Bread /Viennoiserie |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Brittany |
| Main ingredients | Yeast-leaveneddough,butter,sugar |
Kouign-amann (/ˌkwiːnæˈmɑːn/;Breton:[ˌkwiɲaˈmãn];pl.kouignoù-amann) is a sweet, roundBretonlaminated dough pastry, originally made with bread dough, but is also made with laminatedviennoiserie dough,[1] containing layers of butter and incorporated sugar, similar in fashion topuff pastry albeit with fewer layers. It is slowly baked until the sugarcaramelizes and steam from the water in the butter expands the dough, resulting in its layered structure. A smaller version, kouignette, is similar to a muffin-shaped, caramelizedcroissant.
A specialty of the town ofDouarnenez inFinistère,Brittany where it originated around 1860, the pastry is attributed to Yves-René Scordia (1828–1878).[2] The name comes from theBreton language words for 'cake' (kouign) and 'butter' (amann), and in 2011 theNew York Times described it as "the fattiest pastry in all of Europe."[3]
The strict original Douarnenez recipe requires a ratio of 40 percent bread dough, 30 percent butter, and 30 percent sugar.[4] 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.[citation needed]
Kouign-amann has been a staple pastry at many Japanese bakeries after becoming popular in the late 1990s.[5][6]
In 2014 episode 7 ofseries 5 of the BBC'sThe Great British Bake Off[7] featured kouign-amann. In 2015, notable bakeries inNew York City,[8]Washington D.C.,[4]Boston,[9]Salt Lake City,[10] andSan Francisco began to sell the pastry.[11][12][13] InDenver, several bakeries offer varieties; some shorten the name to "queen".[14] The making of kouign-amann also featured in Michael Portillo'sGreat Continental Rail Journeys on BBC TV (series 8, episode 17, 31 March 2025).
As of 2024, kouign-amann had also gained popularity in countries worldwide such asIndonesia thanks tocoffeeshop chains that operated in the country such asÉric Kayser.[citation needed]
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.
