Best Kouign-Amanns in Sydney

by Callum McDermott

Updated March 3rd, 2023

There are just five ingredients in a kouign-amann (just pronounce it “queen ah-mahn” and that’s close enough). Flour, salt, yeast, butter and sugar. That’s it. Doesn’t sound like much, right? So why is this pastry from a sleepy Breton town in northern France showing up in cake cabinets across Sydney?

It’s less about the ingredients, and more about the proportions. A kouign-amann is about 30 per cent sugar and 30 per cent butter – the dough’s only really there to keep the whole thing together – making it one of the sweetest and fattiest pastries out there.

Take a slab of butter, place it in yeasted bread dough, roll out and fold it repeatedly, then cover it with a mixture of sugar and salt. As the kouign-amann bakes, the butter steams the dough on the inside, which separates it out into airy layers. On the outside, the sugar and salt combine to make a glossy, crisp, caramelised exterior. The result is a muffin-sized miracle of crunch, fluff, salt and sugar.

It’s buttery, it’s sweet and it’s dangerously good with a coffee. So head to one of these bakeries and give one a try. Your mornings might never be the same.

Related Pages
Best Bakeries in Sydney

Flour and Stone Annexe
Cafe
Nadine Ingram’s beloved bakery serves two distinct takes on the Breton pastry. The first is a tahini and apple kouign-amann, available on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The second is a pistachio and orange number, available Fridays and Saturdays. Both will set you back $10.50.
Tuga Pastries Alexandria
Cafe
You won't always find kouign-amanns at this Sydney-famous Portuguese bakery But when you do see one – pull the trigger. You won't regret it. Tuga often tries different things with its kouign-amann, and past renditions have included special fillings and toppings – like this one filled with pistachio cream.
Loulou
Restaurant
A coffee and kouign-amann in the morning is one way to experience this all-day French bistro and bakery. The other? Salade niçoise and chardonnay at lunch. You have a tough decision to make.
Lamin8 Patisserie
Cafe
There are more than 20 pastries to try at this top Sydney patisserie, and kouign-amanns are a menu mainstay. They're classic and simple here: dense, buttery and topped with caramelised sugar.
Rollers Bakehouse
Cafe
This sleek bakery is renowned for its experimental croissants. But when the Kouign-Amann crops up as a special, it’s usually a faithful version of the Breton pastry: a disc of sugar and butter that's soft inside with a crisp, caramelised shell.
Staple Bread & Necessities Seaforth
Shop
Whether you visit Staple’s Seaforth, Cromer or Manly bakeries, there’s a fine chance you’ll happen upon a cracking kouign-amann. Past iterations include classic to cardamom-dusted. Don’t forget to pick up a loaf of bread while you’re at it.
Self Raised Bread Shoppe
Cafe
A former Flour and Stone and Cornersmith pastry team are on the tools at this sleek South Sydney bakery. As well as croissants, fruit-filled danishes and tarts, they’re also baking classic kouign-amanns. Grab one of everything and make for the beach.