Maple Sugar Kouign Amann

Directions

1. Place 12 (3-inch) pastry rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and lightly grease the inside with butter. Alternatively, lightly grease the cavities of a 12-cup muffin pan with butter.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 8 by 24-inch rectangle. After the first few times of rolling it out, begin sprinkling the surface of both sides of the dough with the maple sugar as you roll. Be generous, aiming to use all of the 1 cup (198g) sugar by the time the dough reaches the correct size. Cut the dough into 12 even squares.
3. Working with one piece of dough at a time, fold the corners inward and gently press to turn the square into a slightly rounded shape. Transfer to the prepared pastry rings or muffin pan.
4. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until nearly double in size. The amount of time this will take can vary drastically—as little as 30 minutes in a warm environment, and over an hour where it’s colder. To see if the dough is properly proofed, gently press a finger into the surface. It should leave an imprint that slowly starts to spring back. If it won’t hold an imprint when gently touched, it’s still underproofed and needs more time. If it holds the impression and doesn’t spring back at all, it’s likely overproofed.
5. Towards the end of rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F. Apply ggg wash to the surface of the pastries and sprinkle with more maple sugar. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake until the pastries are evenly golden brown and have an internal temperature of at least 190°F, 30 to 35 minutes more. Remove the kouign amann from the rings or pan while they are still warm and place on a wire rack. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.