I have been making Kouign-Amann, on and off, for just over a decade, after trying my first one in France, highly intrigued by a pastry that I had never seen before! I even tried laminating the dough with honey to see if it might make a good sugar substitute (it almost always does). Kouign-Amann. The dough then gets sprinkled liberally … Today the pastry appears to be mostly produced in bakeries, but the concept is the same. The tighter crumb means it’s perfect for toast (no holes for the jam to fall through!)

This interestingly named concoction is a regional specialty of the Bretagne region in France. and its smaller … Klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie Very much inspired by the pastry episode of the Great British Bake Off we could not help but have a go at the Kouign-amann. But working with soft butter and runny … As usual, one thing leads to another in the kitchen. Indeed, the kouign-amann is made with a yeasted dough, laminated to incorporate unspeakable amounts of butter, just like a croissant is; the only difference is the generous layer of sugar incorporated into the luscious final folds—hence the glazed, caramelised finish which, along with the distinctive pointed folds, lends the kouign-amann its regal appearance, and its depth … Our French Sourdough is a lighter and less sour loaf than other sourdoughs you’ve had. Bread dough is rolled out thin, … Kouign Amann is a pastry that traditionally was made quickly and easily in Breton farmhouses on baking days or on Sundays as a special treat using scraps of leftover bread dough and the delicious demi-sel butter for which the region is famous.

I was not entirely comfortable publishing a Kouign Amann recipe because I live a sugar-free life and those delicious pastries contain a fair bit of the white stuff. The name derives from the Breton words for cake (“kouign”) and butter (“amann”). Made in the French style (with yeast) instead of the San Francisco style (with a starter), our loaves have a touch of rye and malt. Essentially, you make a croissant dough (a quick version works excellently, as I have done here), with sugar incorporated to the final turn when making the dough.

We started making ... French Sourdough Loaf.