Clem's Beignets
 

 

Beignets (beh-nyes) are a Louisiana pastry item arising from its French origins. They are similar to doughnuts in that both are deep-fried pastries. While doughnuts are ring-shaped with a hole in the middle, beignets are square or rectangular (often called "golden pillows"). Doughnuts are often stuffed with a filling whereas beignets are simply dusted with powdered (icing) sugar.
They are not difficult to make. Here's how:

 

1. Ingredients

 

  • 3/4 cup warm water.
    This is for blooming the yeast and so has to be at a temperature suitable for yeast multiplication.
     
  • 100 g fine sugar (add 150 g if you like a sweeter beignet).
     
  • 7 g active dry yeast (1 sachet).
     
  • 1 large egg (room temperature).
     
  • 120 mL warm milk.
     
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
     
  • 450 g plan flour (also called "All Purpose Flour).
     
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
     
  • 42 g unsalted butter.
     
  • Cooking oil of choice enough to float the beignet when deep-frying.
     
  • Powdered (icing) sugar to dust the beignets after frying.
     
    •

 

2. Method

 

  • Place the 3/4 cup warm water in a mixing bowl.
    Add half the quantity of sugar.
    Add the dried yeast.
    Mix and then set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature (use a warm oven if it is winter at your place) for the yeast to bloom.
     
  • Add a teaspoon of salt to 450 g of plain flour and mix.
     
  • After 15 minutes, add milk, vanilla extract, the remaining sugar, and an egg to yeast preparation.
    Whisk well.
    Add half the flour and mix.
    The result should be a runny flour mix.
     
  • Move the flour mixture to a stand mixer with a dough hook attached.
    At medium speed, slowly add the remaining flour and mix until the dough is smooth.
    After some 5 minutes of mixing, the dough should be tacky and elastic.
     
  • Transfer the dough to a well-oiled bowl.
    Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 2 hours for the yeast to proof the dough (cause it to rise).
    Or leave the covered dough overnight in a refrigerator.
    This step is essential to make for fluffy (through gas pockets) beignets.
    When the dough has risen (look for twice the starting volume), it is ready to be cut and shaped.
    •

 


Clem's Beignet dough after overnight proofing in a refrigerator
 

 

  • Dust a working surface well with flour.
     
  • Transfer the risen dough to this surface and work it to a flat and rectangular shape.
    Aim for a thickness of about 1 cm.
    Work the dough gently so as not to disrupt the gas entrapped in it.
     
  • Cut the rectangular dough into smaller squares or rectangles.
     
    •


Beignet dough cut and shaped
 

 

  • Add cooking oil to a pan.
    The quantity should be such that the beignets to be fried will float in the oil.
     
  • Heat the oil to 180oC.
     
  • Drop the dough into the oil and fry until golden brown.
    Turn the dough over several times in the oil to allow even cooking.
     
  • When each piece is done, remove from the oil and set onto a paper towel to absorb free oil.
     
  • Dust each fried piece with powdered sugar (your choice of quantity).
    Note that powdering should be done while the beignets are just out of the frying pan otherwise the sugar may not stick well.
     
  • Serve with coffee while the beignets are still hot!
     

*A note on deep-frying beignets:
The right combination of thickness of each dough piece dropped into the frying oil, the temperature of the oil, the quantity of inclusions in the dough which will brown (e.g. sugar and milk), and frying time will determine the degree of fried brown colour in the final outcome versus how well the dough is cooked inside. If things are not well balanced, a brown beignet may result but one with an under-cooked interior. What you are looking for is a golden brown with a well-cooked fluffy interior. If under-cooking results, try baking the recalcitrant ones at 190oC in an oven.

 


Clem's beignets
 

 

ENJOY!

 

All my cooking (some without recipes) can be found here (click on each photo to go to that dish's page):

 

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html

 

Video presentations can be found here:

Earlier days: https://youtu.be/BWyHY1h9Y5s

More recently: https://youtu.be/cph2XmwuQLU

 

 

www.clemkuek.com

 

30 July 2025
 

 



Created by Clem Kuek