With tremendous self-satisfaction at what felt like another clever notion, the Dungeons & Dragons 12-sided dice were rolled on Father’s Day Sunday morning, and what turned up was the directive to reach for the April 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. This proved to be an enormously unfortuitous gift of chance: the only appealing recipe at all in the entire issue was also a rather involved and challenging one.
But this is the tactic I’d decided to experiment with to increase variety in my kitchen endeavors, and I didn’t want to stumble straight out of the gate.
While there are other shelves in the house filled with a ridiculous assortment of cookbooks, this is the primary cabinet of periodicals...and it is rather ridiculous, isn’t it? Thousands of recipes, lots of great options, plenty of ideas that I would enjoy at least trying...and this multi-sided dice scheme is how I figured I’d force myself to dig into them.
Anyway...once determined by those dastardly dice that my task was to undertake such a temperamental and demanding laminated pastry, I tackled for the first time Kouign-Amann, a sweet cousin perhaps to the lovely croissant. And here I'd like to note: even when the ingredients list is uncomplicated, so much depends on technique and timing, of course. When one blows one of the fundamental or foundational elements of a crafted creation like this, the failure is baked in from the get-go. I'm sure that's what resulted from my inexpert blending of that essential butter block, and why there were enormous chunks of it instead of a smooth layer of lamination within the multiple layers emerging from the many roll-and-folds I did.
Taking much of the last Monday in June, which is when I finally got up the courage to take it on, and carrying over into a final bake and serve on Tuesday morning, this glorious creation was a sight to behold and a wonder to consume. Seriously: tons more involved than croissants, cronuts, or regular Danish pastries, and yet still so gorgeous even with my amateur's infectious imperfections, these confections earned affections and that ain't no joke.
Technically, in this form, they are called "Kouignettes." And Kouign-Amann in general has been described in various ways, including "The Perfect Pastry" or, as Chef John Mitzewich puts it: "The World's Most Difficult and Best Pastry." Here at the Roediger House we shall just all hail the mighty Kouign-Amann!
"The Project: Kouign-Amann," by Claire Saffitz in Bon Appétit, April 2014, p. 43-47. See also: "How to Make Kouign-Amann, A Step-by-Step Guide," by Claire Saffitz on BonAppetit.com. [Published 27 March 2014]
