Kouign-amann
|
Kouign amann pastry from B. Patisserie in San Francisco, California | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Douarnenez, Finistère |
| Main ingredients | Dough, butter, sugar |
 Cookbook: Kouign-amann  Media: Kouign-amann | |
Kouign-amann (pronounced [,kwiɲˈamɑ̃nː] Breton pl. kouignoù-amann) is a Breton cake. It is a round crusty cake, made with bread dough containing layers of butter and sugar folded in, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers. The resulting cake is slowly baked until the butter puffs up the dough (resulting in the layered aspect of it) and the sugar caramelizes. The name derives from the Breton words for cake ("kouign") and butter ("amann"). Kouign-amann is a speciality of the town of Douarnenez in Finistère, Brittany, where it originated around 1860. The strict recipe of Douarnenez requires a ratio of 40 percent dough, 30 percent butter, and 30 percent sugar. [1]
The Welsh equivalent is the etymologically identical Cacan menin, literally 'cake, butter'.
Popularity
Though it has more than 100 years of history, in 2014, the BBC aired an episode of The Great British Bake Off [2] featuring the kouign amann, and in 2015, it had increased in popularity in the United States with notable bakeries in New York,[3] Washington D.C.,[1] Boston[4] and San Francisco highlighting the pastry.[5][6][7]
References
- 1 2 Krystal, Becky. "Meet the kouign-amann, the caramelized French pastry we’re loving right now". Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ↑ http://www.pbs.org/food/features/great-british-baking-show-episode-7-pastries/
- ↑ "Better Than a Cronut: How to Master Kouign-Amann". Eater. Feb 27, 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ↑ Zwirn, Lisa (30 June 2015). "A 150-year-old pastry no one ever heard of - The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ↑ Irwin, Heather (9 July 2015). "BiteClub: Meet the new cronut, the Kouign Amann". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ↑ Lucchesi, Paolo (19 June 2015). "B. Patisserie will be full of kouign amann on Saturday". Inside Scoop SF. SF Gate. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
- ↑ Alburger, Carolyn (October 3, 2011). "Croissant, Dethroned; All Hail Kouign-Amann | 7x7". 7x7.com. Retrieved 2015-08-22.
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.
External links
- Kouign amann: some history (French)
- Recipe for kouign-amann: an easy recipe on how to make kouign-amanns at home
