Caramelized Kouign-Amann Pastry

Prepare the dough mixture: Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy and bubbly.

Combine the remaining flour, melted butter, and salt with the yeast mixture. Mix everything together using a wooden spoon until you have a sticky and wet dough.

Cover your work surface with the remaining flour. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on the floured surface. Knead, folding in excess flour as needed, until your dough is soft, slightly sticky, and elastic. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.

Create the sugar mixture: Mix together sugar and most of the sea salt in a bowl. Taste it and add more salt if you prefer.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with the remaining melted butter. Spoon some of the sugar mixture into each cup and shake to coat. Return any excess sugar to the bowl. Set the muffin tin aside until you're ready to use it.

Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and press it into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining ice-cold butter over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around it. Use your hands to flatten and spread the butter evenly. Fold the rectangle widthwise into thirds, pressing gently to square out the edges. Place the dough onto a silicone-lined baking sheet and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out again into a large rectangle, stretching and pulling the corners as needed. Sprinkle the remaining ice-cold butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to pat it down and fold the dough into thirds. Roll it out again, folding it into thirds once more. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cover your work surface with a generous amount of sugar mixture. Place the dough onto the sugar and sprinkle more on top. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, turning and topping with sugar between rolls.

Use a pizza cutter to trim away any uneven edges. Cut the dough into 12 equal squares. Sprinkle more sugar on top of each square. Use your fingers to gently pinch each pastry into a crown shape, bringing all four corners together in the center. Place the pastries into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle more sugar on top of each pastry. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Bake the pastries in a preheated oven until they're browned and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pastries to a cooling rack while still hot. Let them cool for 15 minutes before serving.