Instructions

• Stir the lukewarm water, 2 teaspoons of the granulated sugar, the salt, and the instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
• Add the bread flour and 2 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter to the bowl. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until a shaggy mass forms. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on low speed 4–5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky (or knead by hand 8–10 minutes). Use additional flour for dusting as needed to prevent excessive sticking.
• Lightly oil a bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place 1–1½ hours, until doubled in size.
• Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 16 × 9 inches and 1/4 inch thick, keeping the shape as rectangular as possible.
• Take 1/2 cup of the unsalted butter (cold) and grate it evenly over the surface of the rolled dough. Spread the grated butter to cover most of the dough, leaving a small margin at the edges.
• Fold the dough into thirds like a letter (fold one short side toward the center, fold the other short side over it). Press the seams gently so the dough holds its rectangular shape. Wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator 30–60 minutes.
• Remove the chilled dough and place it on the work surface with the long side facing you. Roll it again to a rectangle about 16 × 9 inches and 1/4 inch thick.
• Grate the second 1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter evenly over the rolled dough. Spread it to cover most of the surface, then fold the dough into thirds again (letter fold). Wrap and chill the dough at least 30 minutes. (Reserve the remaining 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter for the muffin pan.)
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush 1 tablespoon of the reserved unsalted butter (melted) into 8 wells of a standard muffin tin. Using some of the divided granulated sugar, lightly dust each buttered well with sugar and tap out excess; set the prepared pan aside.
• On a clean surface, use the remaining divided granulated sugar to sugar the dough for shaping: dust the work surface with sugar, place the chilled folded dough onto the sugared surface, then dust the top of the dough with more sugar. Roll the sugared dough into a rectangle about 12 × 8 inches (the sugar should be worked into the layers as you roll).
• Cut the rolled dough into 8 even strips (about 1 inch wide). Starting at one end of each strip, roll each strip up tightly (or roll loosely if you prefer a more open spiral) and place each roll into one of the prepared muffin wells, sugar side up.
• Bake the kouign-amann 30–35 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the centers register about 212°F (100°C) if using an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the pastries cool in the pan 3–4 minutes. Carefully remove the kouign-amann from the wells (they will be hot and the sugar will be molten; use a small offset spatula if needed).
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 20 minutes before serving, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.