KOUIGN AMANN
REBECCA WOOLLARD, FOOD EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHS STUART WEST FOOD STYLING ROSIE RAMSDEN STYLING SARAH BIRKS
THE CHALLENGE
" I first ate a kouign amann (pronounced ‘queen amon’ with a Breton accent) in a restaurant in Paris. I ordered it because I was intrigued by the name. A small piece of crisp, buttery sugared pastry arrived, hardly more than a mouthful, but it was so good we had to order another, and I’ve been smitten ever since. The kouign amann had its big UK moment on The Great British Bake Off in 2014, when it foxed the contestants. Having worked to perfect this recipe, I feel for anyone who tries to do it from start to finish in three hours. There’s no denying that making these pastries is a labour of love, but most of the time is taken up by the dough resting in the fridge after rolling. I promise you the rewards for your patience will be rich. And if, like me, you think what a croissant is really crying out for is more butter, this is probably the perfect pastry."
REBECCA WOOLLARD, FOOD EDITOR
HOW WE CRACKED IT Common problems we addressed when perfecting the recipe, and how we fixed them. As with all recipes, read it all the way through, including the tips, before you begin
PROBLEM 1
The pastry is greasy
THE FIX