Puffy New Orleans-Style Beignets
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen.
Soft yeasted dough cut into squares and fried until puffed into light, golden pillows.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Wake the yeast. Whisk the lukewarm milk with 10 g of the sugar and the yeast in a large bowl. After about 5 min the surface should look slightly foamy.
- 2
Make the dough. In the other bowl, whisk the flour with the rest of the sugar and the salt. Beat the eggs and cooled butter into the milk, tip in the dry mix and stir firmly for about 2 min until you have a soft, sticky dough with no dry flour left.
- 3
Let it rise. Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for about 1 h, until almost doubled. Chill it for 20 min; cold dough rolls far more easily.
- 4
Roll and cut. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface, dust the top and roll it to 6 mm thick, roughly 30 x 23 cm. Use the pizza wheel to cut 24 squares of about 7.5 cm and lay them on the floured tray.
- 5
Heat the oil. Fill the pan with oil to about 4 cm, keeping it no more than half full, and heat it to 180 °C.
- 6
Fry. Fry 6 squares at a time for about 3 min, flipping halfway, until they puff into pillows and turn golden on both sides; keep the oil between 170 and 180 °C. Lift them onto the rack and let the oil return to 180 °C before the next batch.
- 7
Serve. Eat them warm, ideally within 30 min, while they are still crisp outside and steamy within.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Cooled beignets keep for a day in an airtight container; refresh in a 180 °C oven for 4-5 min.
Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- whisk
- sturdy spatula or wooden spoon
- rolling pin
- pizza wheel or sharp knife
- baking tray dusted with flour
- large heavy pan or casserole, at least 24 cm wide
- deep-frying or probe thermometer
- slotted spoon or spider
- wire rack over a tray lined with kitchen paper
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 505 kcal |
| Protein | 11.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 63.3 g |
| of which sugars | 9 g |
| of which free sugars | 6.7 g |
| Fat | 22.8 g |
| of which saturates | 5.1 g |
| Fibre | 2.2 g |
| Salt | 0.84 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
