Bread dough or croissant dough? Folded or rolled? Warmed in the oven or served at room temperature? Rarely has a cake sparked so many debates about its authentic recipe and the proper way to enjoy it. Legend has it that kouign ("cake" in Breton) amann (meaning "butter") originated in Douarnenez, Finistère, in western France, in 1860. According to local legend, facing a shortage of cakes, Yves-René Scordia, a baker at Boulangerie Crozon, reportedly improvised the dessert with leftover bread dough. Some, however, say the tradition goes back even further, to traditional Breton families sweetening and buttering leftover bread dough at home.
Other researchers tie the delicacy to Nordic countries, particularly Denmark, due to its close fishing connections with Douarnenez in the 19th century. Regardless of its roots, in Brittany, across France, and even worldwide – in places as far away as New York and Japan – this crispy, buttery cake is seen as either a heavenly invention or a calorific heresy. But one thing is for sure: it rarely leaves anyone indifferent.
We will not take the risk of declaring which kouign-amann is the very best, but after crisscrossing Brittany, visiting bakeries, and sampling (perhaps excessively) many varieties, here are five we particularly enjoyed. At the very least, it gave us an excellent excuse – if one were needed – to embark on a Celtic pilgrimage.
