Kouign amann

Kouign-amann is a Breton pastry made by folding butter and sugar into yeasted dough, then baking it until the outside is crisp and caramelised. Its name means “butter cake” in Breton.

Roll yeasted dough with softened butter and sugar, fold it in layers as you would for laminated pastry, then shape it in a well-buttered tin. Bake at about 190°C until deeply golden and bubbling at the edges; turn it out while still warm so the caramel does not set in the tin.

Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature and eat it within a couple of days; refrigeration can make the pastry less crisp. For a longer keep, freeze it wrapped well, then thaw before reheating.

Warm it in an oven at 160°C for about 5–8 minutes, until the pastry is crisp again and the centre is warm. Avoid the microwave, which softens the caramelised layers.

Serve it slightly warm with coffee or tea, or alongside tart fruit such as berries to balance its buttery sweetness. It is also good as a dessert with a spoonful of crème fraîche.

You can use ready-made puff pastry for a quick approximation, folding sugar into it and baking it in a buttered tin. It will be flaky, but it will lack the distinctive chewy, layered crumb of the yeasted original.