New Orleans Beignets

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy pot (at least 5-quart)
• •Candy or deep-fry thermometer
• •Rolling pin
• •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake up the yeast

   Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl. It should feel like a warm bath on your wrist, around 110°F. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast over the surface and let it sit undisturbed for five to ten minutes. You're waiting for the yeast to bloom. It should turn foamy and smell like fresh bread. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead or your milk was too hot. Start over with fresh yeast.

   Yeast dies above 120°F. When in doubt, go cooler rather than hotter. The yeast will still activate, just a bit slower.
2. 2

   Build the dough

   Once the yeast is bubbling happily, whisk in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Add two cups of the flour and the salt, stirring with a wooden spoon until you have a shaggy, sticky mess. This is exactly what you want. Now add the remaining flour, half a cup at a time, mixing until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It will still be tacky. That's the bayou way.

3. 3

   Knead until smooth

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for eight to ten minutes, adding flour only when absolutely necessary. You're developing gluten, building the structure that creates that pillowy chew. The dough is ready when it feels smooth and elastic, springs back when you poke it, and no longer sticks aggressively to your hands. A little tackiness is fine. Dry, stiff dough makes tough beignets.

   If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook on medium-low for five to six minutes. Watch for the dough to clean the sides of the bowl and wrap around the hook.
4. 4

   Let the dough rise

   Lightly oil a clean bowl and place the dough inside, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set it somewhere warm, about 75°F. Let it rise until doubled in size, one and a half to two hours. My grandmother Evangeline used to set her bowl on top of the stove while something else simmered. Find your warm spot. The dough should look puffy and full of air when you pull back the plastic.

5. 5

   Roll and cut

   Punch down the risen dough to release the gas. Turn it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about a quarter-inch thick. Don't obsess over perfect geometry. These are meant to be rustic. Cut into roughly two-inch squares using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You'll get about twenty-four pieces, maybe more. Let the cut squares rest on the floured surface, loosely covered, for fifteen minutes. This relaxes the gluten and helps them puff when they hit the oil.

   Resist the urge to re-roll scraps more than once. Overworked dough gets tough. Those wonky edge pieces will fry up just as delicious.
6. 6

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large Dutch oven or deep heavy pot to a depth of three inches. Heat over medium until it reaches 360°F. This temperature is critical. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. Too cool and the beignets absorb oil and turn greasy. Use a thermometer. I've been frying for forty years and I still use a thermometer for beignets.

7. 7

   Fry until golden

   Working in batches of three or four, gently lower the dough squares into the hot oil. Don't crowd the pot or the temperature drops. The beignets will sink briefly, then bob to the surface and puff dramatically. Fry for about one minute per side until deep golden brown, flipping once with a slotted spoon or spider strainer. They should look like golden pillows, irregular and beautiful. Adjust your heat between batches to maintain 360°F.

   The beignets puff best when the oil temperature stays consistent. Let it recover between batches if needed.
8. 8

   Drain and sugar immediately

   Transfer the fried beignets to a wire rack set over a sheet pan, or to a plate lined with paper towels. Let them drain for about thirty seconds. While they're still warm and slightly oily (that's what makes the sugar stick), pile them on a serving plate and bury them in powdered sugar. I mean bury. The mountain of white sugar is not optional. It's how we do things in New Orleans.

9. 9

   Serve hot

   Beignets wait for no one. Serve them immediately with strong coffee, preferably chicory-laced café au lait if you want the full French Quarter experience. The first bite should release a puff of powdered sugar that coats your shirt. That's how you know you're doing it right. Don't apologize for the mess. Embrace it.

Chef Tips

• •The dough can be refrigerated overnight after the first rise. Cold dough is actually easier to roll and cut. Let it come to room temperature for thirty minutes before frying.
• •Peanut oil has a higher smoke point and cleaner flavor than vegetable oil. It's worth the extra cost for frying.
• •Don't skip the resting time after cutting. Those fifteen minutes let the gluten relax, which means puffier beignets.
• •Sift your powdered sugar through a fine-mesh strainer for the lightest coverage. Clumps are for amateurs.
• •Leftover beignets don't keep well, so only fry what you'll eat. The good news is they disappear fast.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be made through the first rise, then refrigerated overnight in a covered bowl. The cold fermentation actually improves flavor.
• •Cut beignets can rest on a floured sheet pan, covered, for up to one hour before frying.
• •Once fried, beignets must be served immediately. There is no make-ahead for the final product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 beignet (about 45g)