It is fair to say that most people find a perfect pure butter croissant or a delectable apple turnover simply irresistible. It is partly about the texture, the buttery flakes, the aroma and the desire for more. Like nearly everyone, I am also a huge aficionado of Palmiers. To me, Palmiers caramelized crust and its buttery crisp layers are nothing less than a feast for the mouth.
Kouing Aman is a little of all of the above. It can be described as a crisp caramelized shell with flakey tender buttery layers with a most satisfying flavor.
For laminating dough in school we use a machine, but for a “how to roll by hand session” I have found that Kouing Aman is a perfect candidate. This because it does not have to be (although it can) as perfectly rolled as let’s say puff pastry.
Getting It All Together!
From start to finish it is best to allow about 6 hours to prepare Kouing Aman.
Recipe Kouing Aman
Yield: 10
| 2 lb 3 oz | Bread flour | 1 kg | |
| 1 lb 4 oz | Water at 60°F ( 16°C) | 600 g | |
| 0.5 oz | Instant yeast | 15 g | |
| 2 oz | Melted butter | 60 g | |
| 1 oz | Salt | 30 g | |
| To fold In: | |||
| 1 lb 4 oz | Butter, unsalted | 600 g | |
| 1 lb 2 oz | Extra fine granulated sugar | 540 g | |
| 0.25 oz (1.5 teaspoon) | Salt | 7.5 g | |
| ½ teaspoon | Vanilla bean paste | 2.5 g | |
1. In a machine bowl fitted with a dough hook mix the bread flour, water, yeast, melted butter and salt to nearly fully developed dough with a temperature of 70°F (20°C).
2. Cover and rest for 30-45 minutes.
3. Roll the dough to a rectangle of a full sheet pan size.
4. Place the butter, which should have the same consistency as the dough on the left side of the dough rectangle.
5. Fold the right side of the dough over the butter and press on all ends to seal.
6. Place the dough with the seamless side towards you and roll the dough ½ inch (13 mm) thick.
7. Fold dough into thirds by folding A onto B and C onto B. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
8. Repeat step 7 and rest for 1 hour. Combine the sugar, salt and vanilla bean paste.
9. Roll dough once again to ½ inch (1 cm) thick and sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Fold in thirds and rest for 1 hour
10. Roll the dough ¼ inch (7 mm) thick. Cut in squares (Cut to your required size, as shown here 7 x 7 inch (18 x 18 cm) and fold four corners to the center. Fold again the corners in the center and press flat.
11. Pace in 6 inch (15 cm) diameter buttered and sugared pans and proof until the product has proofed 50%. Bake in a 375°F (180°C) oven until golden, about 45 minutes. Do not underbake.
I am so eager to try this!!! It sounds so wonderful!
Thanks, Chef!! I’ll let you know how it goes!! ;0)
Just to double check Chef, but the salt isn’t needed in the fold in mixture if you are using salted butter correct?
That is right Carrie, If you are using salted butter for the folding in process you do not need to add salt to the sugar.
Eddy
Very nice and appetizing kouing amann… Except that… WHAT?!
What I’m reading?! Unsalted butter?! And vanilla?! Oh, Hell and damnation! For the half-Breton that I am, I cannot admit that you’re commiting conscientiously a crime of lèse-majesté. There’s no authentic kouign amann without salted butter and with vanilla. OMG! Life isn’t worth living… I think that I’m living my last hours on Earth…
Yes. OK. Right. I overact a little bit. Just a little little tiny bit. But… Come on!…
;-D
Hi,
Thank you so much for your response! About the vanilla…you will have to try it at least once…it is delicious! On the salt…. since most pastry chefs in the US work with unsalted butter, I usually mix salt in the “fold in sugar” to obtain the hint of salt.
By the way, we love to vacation in France, we often go but we have not been to your region. Now I will have to go and see how My Kouing Amann compares…
Eddy
Eddy – I just have to say this looks amazing and if I lived at your house I would be very very fat. Delicious 🙂
Chef, Your good!!!! I have to do this one for sure… I’ll let you know how it comes out… I’m sure it will be great… Thank you
I am so excited to try this!! I am sure it is delicious!!
Thank you Chef, I’m lucky you don’t lost your metric meter.
mvg
o.k. I admit. I’m addicted to your blog. You surprise me every time. This time you touched a sensitive spot…it looks great and I will definitely try it! Hope you will publish some more Viennoiseries soon.
Standing ovation from me to you. Thanks a lot!!
Rudolf,
No, I have not forgotten about using the metric system…. In fact it is used increasingly in the States.
All the best,
Eddy
Thank you! At a Sade concert I attended someone yelled” Sade do it” she said “I will do my best”. I will do the same.
Eddy
These are so good, and so sinful! A 6″ pan is just small enough to convince myself it’s a single serving. Maybe I’ll experiment with ramekins next time!
Hi Eddy…I’m such a fan!!!
I was wondering if you might have a croissant recipe that you could pass along, or be able to point me in the direction of one. Your site is lovely and very informative. I’d be ever so grateful if you could assist…
Thanks!!!
Luci
Dear Luci,
Sometime soon I will feature croissants on my site. Sorry to keep you waiting for a while… Thank you very much for visiting.
Eddy
Would an overnight rise (in the refrigerator) work for this recipe? I would like to be able to prepare them the night before and then bake in the morning fresh for breakfast.
Absolutely! The sugar will melt ever so slightly due to the fact that it is in the refrigerator but the final result will be very good.
Cheers!
Eddy.
Thank you for replying. Have you ever had a Kouing amann from Les Madeleines in Salt Lake? She has a crazy following and mail order. Yours look absolutely as fabulous as hers. I have been on a very long search to find a recipe like hers. While I was visiting her shop, she told me that she starts hers at 9:00pm for the next days morning rush. I wondered if the slow rise added to her fabulous results? Thank you for your willingness to share your icredible recipes and techniques
with the rest of us!!
Thanks,
Terri
Thank you for this recipe!! Am trying it as we speak :), on my final cool and rise. Very excited, I am bread obsessed, just building a wood oven in the backyard, how about a awesome french/baguette type recipe.
Maggi
These came out great. Thank you chef
This pastry look so Flakes to eat but look so good to eat with honey.
wow if this is as good as a croissant one of my favorite breads I would enjoy this. I am indeed going to try this kouing aman.
Chef,
I noticed in the final shaping there are three layers, is the 1/4 inch final roll folded in thirds?
Or is the image of the final shape a result of the final fold?
Thank You,
Joe Bavaro
Hi Joe,
The image of the final shape is the result of the final fold.
My best, Eddy
Kouing Aman is a oriental bread type which I have never seen before.
I am very excited about this recipe! I have to admit, pastries are my ultimate guilty pleasure. I love pastries! Just thinking about the buttery flaky goodness is making my mouthwater. I’ve seen this similar type of pastry on the Food Network and could not stop thinking about it ever since! I can’t wait to try this one out! Thanks for sharing Chef!
Your welcome!
The flakeyness it look like you can eat the pic…lol
Thanks Chef Eddy for the simple instructions. I think I can handle this one and will try soon. Most recipes the instructions seem to be to complicated or just not explained as well as you did here. Thanks again.
Chef, why is yeast necessary in this instant considering the dough is being stored in the fridge several time through out the process?
This sounds a bit like a pastry I had in Paris last year which I dream about regularly. What I liked about it was the caramelized crust in combination with the softness of dough. The one I had was filled with lemon. Could you fill this? Any tips on knowing when it’s baked?
Flakey pastries are some of my favorites! This pastry reminds me of a croissant I’ve had that was coated on the outside too, it was very yummy. I want to try this with maybe something drizzled over it with some tea.
I have no meet anyone who didn’t fall in love with the Palmiers as soon as they tasted it. The Kouing Aman will be in big demand as well. The caramelized sugar and flaky pastry.