Kouign-amann | Brittany tourism

Kouign-amann is butter, sugar and, above all, pure pleasure! A creamy delight to die for inside an incomparable crispy crust. The star of Douarnenez has become the emblem of Breton-style indulgence. Treat yourself to this guilty pleasure and sink your teeth into Brittany!

In the blink of an eye

What was the origin of kouign-amann?

We have the baker Yves-René Scordia to thank for this famous cake, which he created in Douarnenez in or around 1860. One particularly busy day, the “Penn-Sardin” town’s baker is said to have improvised the recipe by adding sugar and butter (plentiful in those days) to bread dough in order to meet his hungry customers’ demand for cakes. That’s the official version anyway. Some people have a different theory: kouign-amann might also be a variation on a Swedish cake as, in days gone by, Douarnenez maintained commercial ties with Scandinavia’s countries.

How do you make kouign-amann?

Its name, which is the Breton for “butter cake”, says it all about kouign-amann’s diet-unfriendly character. Starting with a bread dough base, you add as much sugar as you do butter – but what delight! An apparently simple enough recipe that nonetheless required a special knack to turn it into a masterpiece of indulgence. You incorporate the sugar and butter (salted of course!) into the sourdough and then start on the “tourage”, repeated folding of the dough in order to obtain the required layers. When they’re cooked, the ingredients form a delicious caramelised mixture, crunchy and creamy all in one. The quality of the ingredients, their temperature and the dough resting time are all essential to the cake’s success. It can also be served with apples or be made with buckwheat. “Anyone can try, few succeed”, but when it comes to eating it, everyone’s equal!

Did you know?

Shower gels, soaps and room fragrances have the delicious scent of kouign-amann thanks Ma Kibell, creator of Breton artisanal cosmetics.

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Dégustation de Kouign Amann en terrasse, à Rennes
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Noémie LEFEVRE

How do you recognise a good kouign-amman?

A good kouign-amann is freshly baked (that same day). It has a circular shape with a lovely caramelised coating, not too brown, and patterned with diamond shapes. A crispy mouthful should be followed by a divinely soft centre.

Purists insist that it should not mistaken for other local specialities. TheBeurrée belle-iloise, the beurrée Riguidel and the “Kouign pod” from Ile aux Moines and the “Kouign plaked” from Penmarc’h are buttered and puff pastry varieties of the famous cake.

How do you eat kouign-mann?

To warm it up without drying it, put it between two plates over a pan of boiling water.

Where can I buy a good kouign-amann?

To taste the genuine Breton kouign-amann, put your trust in the “Véritable kouign-amann de Douarnenez” association which groups together a dozen of de bakers-pastry makers. The annual “Best Kouign-Amann” competition also rewards Breton bakers’ talents and provides a list of the best producers.

Boulangerie des Plomarc’h in Douarnenez
Boulangerie Pascal Jain in Douarnenez-Tréboul (President of the Véritable Kouign-amann de Douarnenez association)
Douceurs Chocolats T’ in Landerneau (1st Prize in the 2019 Best Kouign-Amann competition)
Zeste de Gourmandise in Iffendic (1st Prize in the 2018 Best Kouign-Amann competition)
Pâtisserie Aux Choux à Lié in Ploeuc-L’Hermitage (2nd Prize in the 2019 Best Kouign-Amann competition)
Boulangerie Sephin in Ploërmel (Third Prize in the 2018 and 2019 Best Kouign-Amann competition)
Pâtisserie Laurent Le Daniel in Rennes (Meilleur Ouvrier de France)
Maison Georges Larnicol with multiple addresses in Brittany (Meilleur Ouvrier de France)
La Maison du Kouign-amann in Concarneau
At Boulangerie Le Guillou in Locronan, the kouign-amann has a history of five generations
Pains & Kouign – Maison Guéguen in Quimper
Maison Abalain in Saint-Brieuc
Chez Ty Kouign à Minihy-Tréguier and on the markets on the Pink Granite Coast, kouign-amann is enjoyed at any time of day!