Kouign-amann facts for kids
Kouign amann pastry
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| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Brittany |
| Main ingredients | Yeast-leavened dough, butter, sugar |
Kouign-amann (pronounced "kween ah-mahn") is a delicious sweet cake from Brittany, a region in France. It's famous for being rich and buttery. This round cake has many layers, similar to a croissant or puff pastry.
It's made from a special kind of dough. This dough has layers of butter and sugar folded into it. When baked slowly, the sugar turns golden and sweet. This process is called caramelization. The butter also helps the dough puff up, creating its many tasty layers. A smaller, muffin-sized version is called a "kouignette."
This special pastry first came from the town of Douarnenez in Brittany. It was created around 1860 by a baker named Yves-René Scordia. The name "Kouign-amann" comes from the Breton language. "Kouign" means cake, and "amann" means butter. In 2011, a newspaper called The New York Times even said it was "the fattiest pastry in all of Europe."
How Kouign-amann Is Made
The original recipe for Kouign-amann is very specific. It uses a lot of butter and sugar. The recipe calls for 40% dough, 30% butter, and 30% sugar. This mix creates its unique taste and texture.
Traditionally, Kouign-amann was baked as one large cake. Then, it was cut into slices to serve. But these days, you can often find smaller, individual cakes. These are especially popular in places like North America. They are sometimes called "kouignettes" and look like small, caramelized muffins.
Where Kouign-amann Is Popular
Kouign-amann has become very popular around the world. In Japan, it has been a favorite in bakeries since the late 1990s.
In 2014, the famous TV show The Great British Bake Off featured Kouign-amann. This helped more people learn about the pastry. After that, many bakeries in big American cities started selling it. You can now find it in places like New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and San Francisco. Some bakeries even shorten the name to "queen."
See also
In Spanish: Kouign-amann para niños
