Marthas Kouign Amann Recipes

KOUIGN-AMANN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine mineral water and salt. Let stand until salt has dissolved. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour and the melted butter on low speed. Add water-and-salt mixture, and continue to mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add yeast, and mix for 1 minute more.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down, wrap in plastic, and place on a baking sheet. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Meanwhile, on a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper, roll the remaining 1 pound butter into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap in parchment paper, and return to refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 18-inch square. Center the chilled butter rectangle on the dough so that each side of the butter faces a corner of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter to enclose. Seal the edges by pinching them together. Roll the dough into a 24-by-8-inch rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds, aligning the edges carefully and brushing off any excess flour. (The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked.) Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes; this completes one turn.
• Repeat process once, then repeat process twice, dusting the work surface and the dough with sugar, and using 1 1/2 cups for each turn. You will now have completed four turns.
• Using a pastry brush, brush 15 ring molds (3 1/2 by 3/4 inches) with melted butter. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, and set aside. Remove dough from refrigerator. On a lightly sugared surface, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 15 squares (4 1/4 inches). Fold up the corners of one square toward the center; repeat process. Lightly press to adhere. Turn square over, and gently coat with sugar. Invert, and place in a prepared ring mold. Repeat with remaining squares.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Let rise in a warm place until puffed, 30 to 40 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Immediately remove ring molds, and place on a wire rack until completely cooled.

KOUIGN-AMANN

Steps:

• Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add melted butter, 2 cups flour, and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a very sticky dough. Dust your work surface with remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Turn dough out onto the floured counter. Knead, folding in the excess flour as needed, until dough is soft, slightly sticky, and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Combine sugar and most of the sea salt together in a bowl. Mix, taste, and add more salt as needed.
• Butter a 12-cup muffin tin. Spoon some of the seasoned sugar into the cups and shake to coat. Turn tin over and return excess sugar to the bowl.
• Transfer dough onto a floured surface and press into a rough rectangle. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Grate cold butter onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Flatten butter using lightly floured hands. Fold rectangle widthwise into thirds. Press gently to square out the edges. Place dough onto a silicone-lined baking sheet. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll dough into a large rectangle again, pulling and stretching the corners as needed. Grate the second stick of butter over the surface. Pat down with floured fingers and fold into thirds. Roll back out into a rectangle and fold into thirds. Repeat rolling and folding one more time. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sprinkle a generous amount of the seasoned sugar onto your work surface. Place dough onto the sugar and sprinkle more sugar on top. Roll into a large rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, turning and topping with sugar between rolls.
• Use a pizza cutter to trim away uneven edges. Cut dough into 12 even pieces. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Lightly pinch each pastry into a crown shape by bringing all four corners to the center; place into the muffin cups. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer onto a cooling rack while still hot. Let cool for 15 minutes.

KOUIGN-AMANN

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Melt butter. In a bowl stir together water, yeast, and sugar and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. In another bowl stir together flours and salt. Stir yeast mixture and melted butter into flour mixture until a dough is formed. (Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.) On a floured surface knead dough 1 minute and transfer to a lightly floured bowl, turning dough to coat it. Let dough rise, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a warm place 45 minutes.
• Line bottom of 2 buttered 9-inch round cake pans with wax or parchment paper and butter paper.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter with 3/4 cup sugar until just combined. On a large sheet of wax paper form butter mixture with a rubber spatula into a 4- by 2-inch rectangle. Chill rectangle, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm but still malleable, about 30 minutes.
• On a well-floured surface roll out dough into an 8-inch square. Lay butter-sugar rectangle diagonally in center of square and roll out corners of dough until they extend 6 inches beyond butter. (Dough will form an X around butter.) Fold dough over butter to enclose it completely.
• Make first "turn":
• Put rolling pin on dough 1/2 inch from farthest edge and press gently back and forth once, but do not roll pin over edge. Repeat process on closest edge. (This seals dough, preventing air and butter from being expelled.) Roll out dough into a 16- by 6-inch rectangle, but do not roll pin over edges. Turn dough over and brush off any excess flour. Fold top third of rectangle over center and bottom third over top, forming a rectangle about 6 by 4 inches. (Dough should resemble a folded letter.) This completes 1 "turn". Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, 20 minutes.
• Arrange dough so that exposed flap of "letter" is on your right. Make 2 more "turns", chilling dough 1 hour between turns and arranging dough so that flap is on your right. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour. Cut dough in half and roll out each half into a 9-inch square. Trim edges to form a 9-inch round and put rounds in pans. Let dough rise, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Sprinkle each round with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake rounds in middle of oven 35 minutes, or until tops are golden. Invert pastries onto racks and turn right side up to cool slightly. Serve pastries warm.