Cinnamon Sugar Kouign Amann

Combine water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and salt. Stir with a wood spoon until a rough dough begins to form.

Mix with a dough hook on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough has come together into a smooth ball. Add water if the dough does not feel slightly tacky, or 1 tbsp of flour if the dough feels too sticky. 

Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

After at least 30 minutes, prepare the butter by pounding the butter sticks with a rolling pin to meld them together and make the butter more pliable. Sprinkle the board and butter with flour as you do this.

Pound the butter flat, then use a pastry scrapper to fold in half. Repeat a few more times until the butter is very malleable. With the rolling pin, shape the butter into a 6x10 inch rectangle. Refrigerate for up to 15 minutes while rolling out the dough.

Roll out the dough into a 12x20 inch rectangle. Place the chilled butter vertically into the middle of the dough so there is a third of the dough to the left, the middle third of the dough is covered by the butter, and there is a third of the dough to the right. Fold it like a letter with the right flap folding over, then the left. Seal the edges as best you can, roll out slightly, then for top and bottom in by thirds.

Complete two turns of the dough. One turn is the process of rolling out the dough and performing the fold in thirds like a letter.

Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to prevent the butter getting too soft. Complete another two turns this time sprinkling the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture between turns so the dough is laminated with the deliciousness.

Refrigerate another 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the pastry rings or muffin tin with ample butter.

Sprinkle the counter with cinnamon sugar then remove the dough from the fridge and place on the counter. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top, then roll out an 8x24 inch rectangle. Cut into two strips 4 inches wide. Cut each into 12 4-inch squares. you want all sides to be cut so the layers can separate on the ends of the pastry.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30 to 40 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet and in the oven. Immediately turn down to 350F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes rotating halfway through. You will know the pastries are done when they are dark golden brown.

As soon as you can handle them, transfer the pastries to a cooling rack so they do not cool and solidify in the pan.