Side and top view of kouign amann slice from Au Kouign Amann in Montreal.
I hungered for a sugary, buttery kouign amann (pronounced QUEEN followed by “almond” in which the “d” is silent) before I knew such a thing existed. I had recently moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and discovered the excellent croissants at Mrs. London’s Bakery. Good as those were, I was dissatisfied with the uneven distribution of sweet filling in the almond and chocolate versions.
b. pattiserie kouign aman. Photo by by Fuzheado, licensed under Creative Commons.
Coincidentally, I had ramped up my baking and was spending a lot of time on The Fresh Loaf baking website and at the King Arthur baking school in Norwich, VT. At one of these places I first heard about what sounded like a dream come true: a croissant-like pastry but with the pieces folded in on themselves, instead of rolled, to nurture a perfect heart of caramelized goodness at the center. This was the kouign amann.
I found my first kouign amann in the wild at a farmer’s market in Dallas, on a family trip. A local baker made them one day a week, and I went early before they sold out. It was more than okay, but I knew I would taste better. Then, not long after, I was in San Francisco and visited b. patisserie, said to make the best kouign amann in America. Their version was fabulously good, a flaky explosion inside the little pastry box. I was so overwhelmed that I ate it before taking a picture but fortunately there are thousands of photos on the internet.
Might I dare making kouign amann on my own? Not likely, since I have shied away from their lesser sibling, the croissant. Not so much because I was afraid of the laborious steps involved as because I was worried I would eat the entire batch by myself. And kouign amann is an even higher order of complexity as well as temptation—according to Chef Steps, “we’re gonna be honest: they’re hard to make. They take a full day of investment, and you might not get them right on the first try. Your kitchen will be a mess. You may get stressed out.” No thanks guys. Plenty of stress over here already.
Then I took a trip to Montreal.
Be still my heart. Entire kouign amann pie from Au Kouign Amann in Montreal.
At a shop called simply Au Kouign Amann I encountered a pastry that, at first glance, was closer to a pizza than a croissant. Many buy the whole pie, but it’s also sold by the slice. The day’s supply was spoken for but I negotiated with the proprietor to “find” me a couple slices which I took back to my burrow. Initial reaction: disappointment. Where were those lovely laminated layers? Then I bit into the thing: ecstacy. Somehow the butter was in every bite with a sugary propellant that blasted my synapses while simultaneously coating my arteries.
Croissant from Au Kouign Amann, just to show these guys can do laminated dough when they need to.
And it turns out this is the true kouign amann, two words which mean simply “bread and butter” in Bretony where it is from. In its homeland kouign amann is not an artisanal pouf but a hearty baked good often prepared from leftover bread dough. I have lots of that around. It’s rolled into a thin round, molded into a circular pan with the excess hanging over the edges, then the surface is liberally coated with sugar and butter (really GOOD butter, obviously) and the excess dough is folded in on itself. It is baked and voila, kouign amann. I know there is a lot of technique involved but those are the basics.
Ready to enter pastry paradise? Get started with this post from The Fresh Loaf in which Susan Mckenna Grant describes a journey similar to the one we just related, except that she actually got to go to Brittany to discover the true kouign amann. This recipe from her blog lays out her actual process of making the original-style pies. And, for comparison of technique and ingredients, almost everyone refers to this canonical recipe from David Lebowitz which may well be the origin story of the individual-serving pastries in the U.S.
And yes, we will try making our own and report back. But first we have to eat through the whole pie we’re bringing home from Montreal.
The label affixed to my entire pie from Au Kouign Amann. Suitable for peeling off and framing.
UPDATE: our whole pie is now gone, though the charming box artwork (which we may steam off and frame) remains. I now have to admit that at least part of the appeal of the authentic slice was the first weekend of spring in Montreal. It’s a very tasty treat, but I’m not ready to say it’s better than the croissant dough makeover. On the other hand, it’s a lot easier to make. Le choix t’appartient!
ANOTHER UPDATE: King Arthur Flour has published its recipe for the original Kouign Aman! Find it here. It’s long, but that’s because they have taken care to describe each step which should be followed exactly as written. Definitely going to make this.
Trader Joe’s used to carry a wonderful frozen kouign amann dough. Sigh…
Really? Like a frozen phyllo dough? Or was it labeled as specifically for kouign amann?
No I mean it was an ACTUAL kouign amann. You proofed it overnight on the counter and baked it fresh. So very good. They seem to have stopped carrying it maybe 2 years ago. I’m sure with some research you could find the manufacturer and see if it’s available elsewhere.
Wow. I would love to find that. There is lots of online coverage of favorite TJ’s products and discontinued products. I bet somebody could track this down as you say. A project for someday where there is more time…
https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/trader-joes-kouign-amann-is-almost-as-good-as.html
Crappers. Post is only 5 years ago. Maybe they can be persuaded to bring it back?
I can’t believe I stumbled on this great site on National Kouign Amann Day (thank you Burnt My Fingers for letting me know, and allowing me to reply!). It must’ve been divine providence, because a friend told me today he’ll be driving from NYC to Niagara Falls and a light bulb went off for me to check whether Mrs. London’s is along the way (sadly, it isn’t), because I read that her kouign amann is supposed to be great (Burnt My Fingers, have you tried it – their “Brittany”?). When I googled around for kouign amann and Mrs. London’s, I found Burnt My Fingers. I’m always on the lookout for the best kouign amann because I’m such a good husband. I myself try not to consume gluten, but I make an exception for my wife who is crazy for pastries in general and kouign amann in particular. You could say my wife is Queen Amann and I’m just “A man.”
Let me cut to the chase and share my findings. Firstly, I did like those Trader Joe frozen kouign amann and called the company for years asking if they’d bring them back – no such luck. Can’t believe I missed b.patisserie’s; the bakery was out of the way and we opted for Tartine’s Morning Bun which was merely OK. I love the Au Kouign Amann version in Montreal, which I’ve had exactly twice by begging my friend to bring back a loaf/pie/wheel when he’s there on a business trip. In NYC, I’ve had “Cronut-Man” Dominique Ansel’s groundbreaking DKA (stands for Dominique’s Kouign Amann) which might be credited with trendsetting the pastry in America. He also sells a $40 Extra Large DKA that’s definitely tastier, though the price is hard to swallow. His West Village location is supposed to have a brown sugar variant which I have yet to try – it’s on my hit list when I hit the City. Despite all my attempts, there is one Kouign Amann I can’t dethrone. There’s a chain in Boston called Flour Bakery which needs no more publicity. I don’t like their overrated sticky buns, and their Harvard-grad founder Joanne Chang gets way too much spotlight for throwing away a career in business to pursue her passion for baking (and then winning a James Beard). But truth be told, her version of the kouign amann, which they sometimes call a Butter Breton, is the best I’ve tasted. Joanne called the kouign amann, “the perfect pastry,” which gives a hint how much heart she poured into its creation, so maybe she deserves the recognition. Caveat: it’s sweet, with an indulgent layer of caramelization along the bottom. This might be more of a “dessert” kouign amann to some, but for my wife, and begrudgingly for me, it’s a “desert island” kouign amann. Bon appetit!
Thanks cambridge7 for all that detail! I had forgotten about the Brittany at Mrs. London’s. I believe I tried it and it was a bit dry, but will give it another shot. As to Flour Bakery, I checked their menu and the Butter Breton is not currently on offer. Hopefully it comes back on an occasional basis, but I would call before making a trip to
Thank you Burnt My Fingers for pointing my attention to Flour’s menu, which fails to mention their kouign amann. My experience is that they bake them daily and they’re usually sold out by mid-day. They’ve even held them for me, when I request a bunch for out of town guests. I wonder if it being off-menu is a uniquely Bostonian understated “English-style” marketing ploy to deter “outsiders” from delights reserved for locals? There are several famous Boston burgers famously off-the-menu (you feel illegal ordering them, and they are criminally delicious). The first restaurant recommendation I ever received, back in the 80’s, was a seafood spot in Boston without a name. The guy called it Nick’s no name, but it really had no name. Now it’s officially called NoName Restaurant. Anyway, I digress…that kouign amann or butter breton is definitely at the Flour Bakeries; but the advice to call in advance is wise as they do run out – make sure to ask if they’ll hold one, or one dozen, for you.
By the way, with all the fierce culinary competition in NYC, it’s only a matter of time before a city in which a fourth lives in Queens produces great kouigns. Every time I google about kouign amanns in NY, there seem to be new developments. One day, for an anniversary trip, I’m going to take my wife on a kouign amann food tour of the Big Apple, and the following Francophile website will be my guide: https://frenchly.us/best-kouign-amann-new-york/
You are killing me with these bakery puns. Next time I go to Boston, I’ll definitely call ahead to Flour Bakery and see if they will reserve me a Butter Breton. Meanwhile, your previous comment prompted me to go back to Mrs. London’s and try their Brittany and I’m glad I did. It’s like a mini version of the pie at au Kouign Amann in Montreal: a disk of laminated dough, a layer of butter and sugar, a second layer of laminated dough. It’s quite good though I think I was disappointed the first time it was not more croissant-like. Can’t post a picture in a comment but you can see it here.
It’s been a while and I was able to try b.patisserie’s legendary kouign amann while in S.F. involuntarily. In short, the regular (not the overly rich chocolate-filled) may be the best yet. But part of my hesitation is that my previous reference, Flour Bakery’s, may be getting saltier or maybe I was at first entranced by the salty caramelization and now I’ve grown up.
BTW, I just tasted a day-old Mrs. London’s kouign amann. My technique for getting kouigns from everywhere, even from Burnt-My-Fingers’ turf, is to whip up my friends into a kouign-frenzy and then they feel obligated to bring back a sample if they’re able to try it. So, a friend brought back Mrs. London’s. I could taste promise in the kouign, extrapolating how it must have tasted when fresh. But to be honest, the almond croissant they brought back was the “butter” of the two.