French Beignets

Votes: 1

Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Complexity: easily
Quantity: 42 donuts

In New Orleans, fluffy beignets are served generously dusted with powdered sugar, even when they're served in paper bags. You can embrace the New Orleans spirit and serve them in paper bags. Or simply arrange them on a baking sheet and dust them with powdered sugar. Whichever way you choose, be sure to eat them while they're hot.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

1 cup warm whole milk
1 packet (7 g) active dry yeast (2 and 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
110 g unsalted butter, melted
0.5 tsp coarse salt
1 large egg, beaten
3.5 cups premium flour + extra for dusting
Canola oil, for deep-frying (about 8 cups)
3.5 cups powdered sugar

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: yeast dough, eggs, milk, donuts

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Pour the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Mix on low speed. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add the butter, salt, egg, and remaining granulated sugar to the bowl and mix on low speed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on low speed until you have a sticky, pliable dough, about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm place, such as a turned-off oven, to rise for about 2 hours. You can also cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight.

Lightly flour a large work surface. Punch down the dough to remove any air, then turn it out onto the work surface. Roll the dough into a 12 x 14-inch rectangle, 0.5 cm thick. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, make 6 slits 2 inches apart along the 12-inch side and 7 slits 2 inches apart along the 14-inch side. You should have a total of 42 2-inch squares. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes. If you refrigerated the dough, let it rest on the counter for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or electric deep fryer to 350°F (175°C). Pour powdered sugar into a large paper bag or baking sheet. Fry 6-8 donuts at a time, turning every 30 seconds, until deep golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per batch. If using a paper bag, transfer the cooked donuts to the bag and shake to coat thoroughly with powdered sugar. If using a baking sheet, transfer the donuts to the baking sheet and use tongs to thoroughly coat with powdered sugar.
Fry the remaining donuts in the same manner. Serve immediately.

Author of the recipe - Scott Hooker is a professional pastry chef and food writer with a passion for French regional cuisine.

Categories:

recipe / Deep-frying / Mixer / Breakfast / Desserts / Donuts, pies, buns / French cuisine

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