Sourdough Kouign-Amann
Flaky, caramelised sourdough kouign-amann baked in a muffin pan, with a crisp sugar shell and layered, chewy interior.
Ingredients
Sourdough starter levain
- 15 g sourdough starter
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g water
Dough
- 220 g water
- all of the above levain approx 120g active sourdough starter
- 450 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 8 g salt
Butter block
- 220 g unsalted butter cold
For lamination and shaping
- 60 g granulated sugar divided
Instructions
Night before: feed your starter
- Combine the starter, flour, and water in a clean jar. Stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature overnight. By morning it should be domed, bubbly, and just at or past its peak. 15 g sourdough starter, 60 g all-purpose flour, 60 g water
Day 1 morning: Mix and bulk ferment
- Add the leaven and water to a large bowl and whisk briefly to loosen the leaven. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms. 220 g water, all of the above levain, 450 g all-purpose flour, 25 g granulated sugar, 8 g salt
- Knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough comes together into a smooth, firm ball.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and leave to bulk ferment in a warm spot until it has puffed out by 30 to 40%.
- Once the dough has reached the right rise, pat into a flat rectangle, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Day 1 afternoon: Make the butter block
- Slice the cold butter and arrange the pieces in a grid on a sheet of baking paper so they sit snugly together. Place a second sheet on top and use a rolling pin to bash and roll the butter into an even, flat block. Fold the paper edges in to form a neat 20x15cm (8x6 inch) rectangle and roll until the butter fills the frame evenly. Refrigerate until cold. 220 g unsalted butter
- Before laminating, give it a few more bashes with the rolling pin to bring it back to a cold but bendy consistency. If it cracks, it is still too cold, so leave it on the bench for 5 minutes and try again.
Day 1 afternoon: First and second folds
- Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and roll into a 20x30cm (8x12 inch) rectangle. Place the butter block in the centre. Fold the sides of the dough over to encase the butter completely and pinch the edges firmly to seal. Turn the dough 90 degrees.
- Make a shallow slit along each long edge with a sharp knife to relieve any tension.
- Roll out to about 8mm thick, trim the short edges, and brush off any excess flour. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up. First fold done. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Repeat: roll out, fold and wrap to complete the second fold, then refrigerate overnight.
Day 2: Third fold (sugar fold)
- Take the dough out of the fridge. Roll out to about 8mm thick. Sprinkle 40g of the sugar evenly across the surface. Fold into thirds. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, but no longer, as the sugar will start drawing moisture from the dough making it increasingly sticky.
- Generously butter 12 muffin holes. This can be just 1 muffin pan, but I use 2 pans and spread out 6 per pan so there is airflow around each one. Sprinkle a little of the remaining sugar into the base of each cup.
- Roll the dough out to 4 to 5mm thick into a 30x40cm (12x16 inch) rectangle. Trim the edges to neaten. Make 3 cuts along the long edge (giving 4 strips) and 2 cuts across the short edge (giving 3 rows) to make 12 squares of roughly 10x10cm.
- Fold the corners of each square into the centre, press gently to seal, and place into the prepared muffin cups.
- Cover loosely and proof until visibly puffed and the layers are starting to show. This can take around 2-4 hours depending on temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 205°C (400°F).
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes until deeply golden and the caramel is bubbling all around the edges.
- Use tongs to immediately remove each kouign-amann from the tin onto a wire rack or baking paper. Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating as the caramel will be extremely hot.
Notes
Leaven ratio: I feed it at 1:4:4 as standard in my kitchen. In a warmer kitchen (above 22°C / 72°F), go up to 1:5:5 to slow it down, or in a cooler kitchen you could do 1:3:3.
Bulk fermentation: You want 30 to 40% rise, not a double. Stop earlier rather than later. If your kitchen is cool, place the dough in a turned-off oven with a cup of hot water to the side, aiming for around 24 to 26°C (75 to 79°F).
Proofing the shaped kouign-amann: Aim for 23 to 25°C (74 to 77°F). A turned-off oven with a cup of hot water works well, but keep the cup to the side rather than directly underneath the muffin pans as the heat rising from it will melt the butter layers. If the surface is drying out, brush it very gently with water.
Butter quality: European-style butter with at least 82% fat gives you the cleanest layers.
After the sugar fold: Shape within 30 minutes as the sugar draws moisture from the dough quickly, making it stickier the longer it sits.
Remove with tongs immediately when they come out of the oven or the caramel will set and they will stick.
Best eaten warm on the day. Reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 5 to 7 minutes on following days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pastryCalories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 458IUCalcium: 12mgIron: 2mg
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