2-3 tbl. additional butter

In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water with a pinch of sugar. Stir briefly, then let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

Gradually stir the flour and salt into the yeast mixture. The dough will be soft, but not too sticky (Note: being at a very high altitude - 7,000 ft. - I added 3 tbls.extra water). Lightly dust your counter-top with flour and transfer dough onto it. Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, knead in just enough flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough doesn't stick to your hands.

Brush a medium bowl with melted butter and place the dough ball into the bowl. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 1 hr.

Meanwhile, line a dinner plate with plastic wrap and set aside.






On a slightly floured counter-top, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12" x 18" with the shorter sides to your left and right. The dough may be sticky and difficult to handle. Use a metal pastry scraper to coax the dough into shape, and a minimal sprinkling of flour as necessary.





Distribute the butter in the center of the dough and sprinkle with 1/4c. sugar.







Grab the left side of the dough and fold it over the center. Do the same to the right side - you should have what resembles a 3-level pastry.






Sprinkle thee entire length of the dough with 1/4c. sugar and (without rolling) fold into thirds again from top to bottom so that you have a square. Place the dough on the dinner plate lined with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hr.
                                          
After the dough is chilled, sprinkled a liberal amount of sugar onto your counter-top. Ease the dough away from the plastic wrap and place on sugared counter-top. Sprinkle 1/4c. sugar onto the dough and press it in with your hands. Roll out the rectangle one more time. Fold the rectangle again as previously done, so that you end up with a square (no more sugar for this part). Let it rest in the fridge again for 30-60 minutes.



Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and brush a pie plate with melted butter (Note: I used a spring form pan. If you do this, line the outside of the pan with foil all the way up the sides, the butter in the pastry will melt and can leak pretty badly)

Remove the dough from refrigerator. Roll it into a circle about the size of the baking pan. It will be sticky; dusting the top with a sprinkle of sugar will help. Once rolled, lift the dough and coax it into the pan (It will want to break. If so, fold it in half and quickly slide something flat under it, like a metal bench scrape and quickly slip it into your pan.). Sprinkle the remaining 1/4c. sugar and 1tbl. melted butter on the top.



Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is deeply caramelized.

Let stand a few minutes, then run a spatula around the edges to release the Kouign Amann and slide teh cake from the pan to a cooking rack.