Up until I was about 12 years old, my parents took my sister, Tracy, and me to Easter service at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. The only way they could keep us in check during mass was by bribing us to be good and quiet with promises of post-church beignets at Café de Monde across the street. We'd get so excited about the prospect of massive quantities of sugar that we probably would have done pretty much anything to ensure we got beignets before going home. Mom was a bit of a stickler when it came to sweets; I mean, at our house, Raisin Bran® was considered toeing the line of junk food! So you can only imagine how amped up we were at the mere prospect of real, honest-to-goodness fried dough piled sky-high with a mountain of powdered sugar.
Like good southern kids we were dressed to the nines—me in my blue blazer, khakis, and white oxfords, Tracy in her Easter dress—and Mom, like all the proper matriarchs, with an Easter hat perched on her head that has a wingspan of at least 18 inches. No sooner had the crispy-fried beignets arrived than our holiday best was coated in a dusting of white powder, as it was our tradition to see who could blow the snowy confectioners' sugar off of the mountain of beignets and onto the other the quickest. After we'd made a complete mess of ourselves, we'd get down to business and devour our crispy-fried beignets, still hot from the fryer and so amazingly tender.
Ingredients
Makes about 4 dozen beignets
3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Peanut oil for frying
Confectioners' sugar for serving, as much as you think you'll need—then double that!
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
Step 2
Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
Step 3
Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into a ½-inch- to ¹/³ -inch-thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares (you should get about 48).
Step 4
Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still warm, buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Make ahead:
Step 5
The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight from the refrigerator.
FAQs
Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat. They will not puff up. The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.
Why are my beignets raw in the middle? ›
Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.
What oil does Cafe du Monde use for beignets? ›
If it isn't, the beignets absorb too much oil and the powdered sugar melts when served and the beignet is greasy, sticky, and a hot, sweet mess of soggy dough. Cafe du Monde fries their beignets in cottonseed oil, even though most recipes call for vegetable oil.
What is the secret to beignets? ›
Tips for MAKING Your Fluffy Beignets:
Be sure that you oil is NIICCE and hot. We had our oil even 20 degrees hotter than the box called for and this really seemed to help the dough puff. Try to keep that oil temperature as even as possible!
What makes beignets puff up? ›
You can also allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. The rising time is important because it helps create a beignet that is light, puffy, and pillowy once fried.
How sticky should beignet dough be? ›
If it's not too sticky to knead, knead it on a floured surface or with the dough hook; if it's still pretty sticky, add another 1/2 cup flour. Knead until it's smooth and elastic, yet still tacky. Put the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 1/2-2 hours.
What kind of flour does Cafe du Monde use? ›
Enriched wheat flour, enriched barley flour, milk, buttermilk, salt, sugar, leavening (baking powder, baking soda, and/or yeast), natural and artificial flavoring. Do you use eggs in your beignet mix? We do not use eggs in our mix.
What is the difference between French beignets and New Orleans beignets? ›
New Orleans beignets are different from the classic French beignet in that they are made with yeast to help the dough rise. French beignets, meanwhile, are a choux pastry, a pastry that relies on moisture content instead of yeast to facilitate rising. Today, beignets are considered the official donut of Louisiana.
Can you leave beignet dough out overnight? ›
Plan ahead. Chill the Beignet dough overnight so the yeasty flavor develops best overnight, or you can refrigerate it up to two days which is the route I took. Once mixed, I plopped the dough in a big, greased, zip-top bag so it would have room to expand if it decided to.
Can you eat beignets the next day? ›
No; since beignets are fried, they should be enjoyed right away. If you reheat them, they will dry out and get hard.
Finally, the beignets made from dough that rested two hours and then was rolled, cut, and fried had more of a hollow center — light and airy and perfect for filling with Nutella etc, if you'd be so inclined.
How much powdered sugar does Cafe Du Monde use in a day? ›
The worker said they replace the powdered sugar machine each hour with 50 lbs of sugar. So 50 lbs x 24 hours = 1200 lbs of sugar.
Why do beignets come in threes? ›
At that time, beignets were generally called “French Market doughnuts,” something Fernandez rectified in 1958 when he rebranded them “beignets.” Asked why beignets are always served in threes, Roman had a very simple explanation: “My grandfather always sold them in threes, so that is what we still do today.”
How many beignets does Cafe Du Monde make a day? ›
The kitchen at Cafe Du Monde. I believe Cafe Du Monde sells around 30,000 beignets a day, give or take.
What texture should beignets be? ›
Beignets are different than doughnuts in a few ways. First, the dough is made with a single rise. This creates a chewy texture rather than a fluffy one. Because of this, the doughnuts taste best hot from the fryer.
How do you make beignets soft again? ›
Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm. You will just want to add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving. They won't be quite as good as fresh, but still pretty darn good.
