Kouign Amann: "The Fattiest Pastry in all of Europe"
The Kouign Amann.
Hard to pronounce, impossible not to love. This perfect pastry has a fun and unique history, as well as quite a delicious reputation.
The Kouign Amann (queen uh-mon) has numerous nicknames, all highlighting the pastry’s most iconic ingredient — butter, and lots of it. The New York Times calls it “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe,” while others have dubbed it “Europe’s most buttery pastry” and “the world’s most difficult and best pastry.” There’s no doubt she lives up to her name.
The Legend & History of the Kouign Amann
This queen hails from Brittany, a region in western France. It is a specialty from the town of Douarnenez in Finistère, Brittany, and originated around 1860. “Kouign Amann” is Breton for “butter cake” (simple, straight, and to the point — we like it).
The legend goes that around 1860 a baker in Douarnenez found himself running out of goods. Flour was scarce, but butter was not. He modified recipe ratios and relied heavily on sugar and butter to fill his bakery with products. The result? The Kouign Amann. The recipe is still strict:
30% butter, 30% sugar, & the rest flour.
Kouign Amann: the Rise to American Fame
The Kouign Amann rose to American fame when BBC’s The Great British Bake Off featured the pastry in 2014. By 2015, it was all over high-end bakeries in the United States. The pastry also has a national holiday, June 20, and even has its own club, the Kouign Amann Association.
Check out the photos below and a favorite video of ours highlighting the history of the Kouign Amann.
