Beignets with Powdered Sugar

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
• •Instant-read or candy thermometer
• •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• •Rolling pin
• •Wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the yeast

   Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl. It should feel like a warm bath on your wrist, not hot. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of the sugar over the surface. Let it sit undisturbed for five to ten minutes. You are waiting for foam, for life. If nothing happens, your yeast is tired and you need to start again with a fresh packet.

   Temperature matters here. Too hot kills the yeast. Too cold and it sleeps. Aim for 105°F to 115°F.
2. 2

   Build the dough

   Add the remaining sugar, the egg, melted butter, salt, and vanilla to the foamy yeast mixture. Whisk until smooth. Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. It will look rough. That is fine.

3. 3

   Knead briefly

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for three to four minutes, adding flour only when the dough sticks to your hands so badly you cannot work it. The finished dough should be soft and slightly tacky, smooth as a baby's cheek. Do not overwork it or add too much flour. Tender beignets come from soft dough.

   Sticky dough is good dough. Resist the urge to add flour until you must. Heavy beignets come from heavy-handed flouring.
4. 4

   Let it rise

   Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free spot. Let it rise until doubled in size, about one and a half to two hours. The dough should feel puffy and alive when you press a finger into it.

   If your kitchen is cold, turn your oven on for two minutes, then off. Place the covered bowl inside with the door closed. The residual warmth creates the perfect rising environment.
5. 5

   Roll and cut

   Punch down the risen dough gently. Turn it onto a floured surface and roll to about one-quarter inch thickness. The dough will want to spring back. Let it rest a minute, then continue. Cut into roughly three-inch squares using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Imperfect shapes are honest shapes. Do not re-roll the scraps more than once or the beignets will toughen.

6. 6

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of three inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 360°F to 370°F. Use a thermometer. Guessing leads to greasy beignets or, worse, burned ones. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby.

   Peanut oil gives the cleanest flavor and handles high heat well. Vegetable oil works. Olive oil does not belong here.
7. 7

   Fry in batches

   Carefully lower three or four squares into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pot. They will sink, then rise and puff dramatically within seconds. Fry until deep golden on the bottom, about one to two minutes, then flip with a slotted spoon or spider. Fry the second side until equally golden. The total frying time is two to three minutes per batch. Transfer to the wire rack.

8. 8

   Bury in sugar

   While the beignets are still warm, pile them onto a plate and dust with an absurd amount of powdered sugar. Do not be shy. The sugar should drift over the edges like snow. At Café du Monde, they use so much sugar you cannot see the pastry beneath. This is correct. Serve immediately. Beignets wait for no one.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh eggs make a difference you can taste. The yolks should be deep orange, almost sunset-colored. Pale yolks come from hens that never see the sun.
• •Do not skip the rising time. Rushed dough makes dense beignets. The patience you give the dough, it returns in tenderness.
• •Fry in small batches. Crowding the oil drops the temperature and produces greasy, heavy results. Three or four at a time is plenty.
• •Powdered sugar loses its magic as it sits. Dust the beignets just before serving, not ahead of time. The sugar should look freshly fallen.
• •If you have leftover dough, refrigerate it overnight. Cold dough is actually easier to roll and cut. Let it come to room temperature for thirty minutes before frying.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made through the first rise, then refrigerated overnight. The slow, cold rise develops flavor. Let it warm for thirty minutes before rolling.
• •Beignets cannot be made ahead. They are a commitment to the present moment. Fry them, sugar them, eat them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)