Kouign-amann recipe

Kouign-amann recipe

A buttery, sugary cake - you may remember this one from 2014's Great British Bake Off! 

It only has five ingredients, but takes some knowledge, skill and patience to get right.

Ingredients

  • 500 g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 20 g fresh baker's yeast or 10g fast-action dried yeast
  • 300 g lightly salted butter, slightly softened, plus 20g for the cake tin
  • 250 g caster sugar
  • 100 ml warm water
  • 17.6 oz plain/all-purpose flour
  • 0.7 oz fresh baker's yeast or 10g fast-action dried yeast
  • 10.6 oz lightly salted butter, slightly softened, plus 20g for the cake tin
  • 8.8 oz caster sugar
  • 3.5 fl oz warm water
  • 17.6 oz plain/all-purpose flour
  • 0.7 oz fresh baker's yeast or 10g fast-action dried yeast
  • 10.6 oz lightly salted butter, slightly softened, plus 20g for the cake tin
  • 8.8 oz caster sugar
  • 0.4 cup warm water

Details

  • Cuisine: French
  • Recipe Type: Cake
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 120 mins
  • Cooking Time: 30 mins
  • Serves: 8

Step-by-step

  1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. In a separate small bowl, blend the yeast with 100ml of warm water. When the yeast has dissolved, pour it into the well.
  2. Stir the flour into the yeast mixture and mix until you achieve a smooth, thick dough. Form it into a ball, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill it for at least 20 minutes.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the dough into a large rectangle, dot the surface with pieces of the butter and sprinkle it with 150g of the sugar.
  4. Fold the four corners of the dough into the middle to enclose the butter and sugar and, at the same time, use the ends of your fingers to flatten and ease the dough into a neat rectangle.
  5. Fold the rectangle into three. Cover with cling film and chill it for at least 20 minutes.
  6. Give the dough a quarter turn, flatten it again with your fingers (or a rolling pin) fold it in three, and chill it again for at least 20 minutes. Repeat this last step one more time. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
  7. Butter a cake tin, sprinkle it with flour and tip out the excess. Place the dough inside, pressing slightly to ensure a neat fit. Brush the surface quickly with cold water, then sprinkle over the remaining sugar. Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until golden.
  8. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin. Run a knife around its edges and unmould it on to a rack. Serve it slightly warm or cold.

Recipe taken from French Regional Food by Joël Robuchon in collaboration with Loïc Bienassis. Published by Frances Lincoln

To order French Regional Food at the discounted price of £20.00 including p&p* (RRP: £25.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG253. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

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