Beignets
Beignets are a popular classic from New Orleans. The fluffy, warm yeast pastry is deep-fried and dusted with powdered sugar. The recipe is guaranteed to delight everyone.
INGREDIENTS (For 30 pieces)
FOR THE DOUGH
30 g butter
80 ml lukewarm water
1 packet of dry yeast (7 g each)
400 g wheat flour (type 405)
60 g sugar
2 pinches of salt
100 ml milk
1 egg (size M)
1 egg yolk (size M)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ALSO
1,000 ml neutral cooking oil (e.g. sunflower oil)
2 – 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar for dusting
Some flour for working
PREPARATION
Step 1
Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a low heat. Mix the lukewarm water and dry yeast in a small bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Step 2
In the meantime, mix the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture, milk, egg, egg yolk, melted butter and vanilla extract and knead with the dough hook of a hand mixer for 3 minutes to form a smooth, soft dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Roll out the risen dough on a floured work surface using a rolling pin to form a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Use a dough cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough lengthways into strips (about 3 cm).
Step 4
Cut the dough crosswise to form squares (about 3 cm x 3 cm). Cover the entire dough with a tea towel and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
Step 5
Heat cooking oil in a large pot until it reaches a temperature of about 160 degrees. The fat is hot enough when small bubbles form all around when you dip a wooden spoon handle into it.
If the fat is too hot, the pastry will brown too quickly and won’t be baked through in the middle. Fat that is too cold, on the other hand, will make the pastry very heavy, as it will absorb an unnecessary amount of fat when baking.
