New Orleans beignets

17/11/2023

New Orleans beignets are small, fluffy, sweet yeast doughnuts, traditionally served hot and covered in powdered sugar. Here’s how to prepare them with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

500 g of 00 flour
200 ml of warm water
100 ml of whole milk
50 g of granulated sugar
50 g of unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
7 g of dry yeast (or 20 g of fresh yeast)
1 pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon (for an Italian touch)
Oil for frying (olive oil for an Italian variant)
Powdered sugar for garnish

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix the dry yeast with the warm water and let it rest for 5 minutes until it begins to foam. If using fresh yeast, crumble it into the water and follow the same process.
Add the milk, sugar, melted butter, and egg, mixing well to combine all the ingredients.
Incorporate the flour, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt, and work the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. If necessary, add more flour little by little to achieve the desired consistency.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl greased with oil. Cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
Roll out the risen dough on a floured surface to about a centimeter thick.
Cut the dough into 5 cm squares.
Heat a good amount of olive oil (or seed oil) in a deep pan and fry the beignets until they are golden and puffed up, turning them over once to cook both sides.
Remove the beignets from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them dry on paper towels.
Dust the hot beignets with plenty of powdered sugar before serving.

Curiosity

Beignets are one of the symbols of the cuisine of New Orleans and have even been declared the official state doughnut of Louisiana. They have French origins but became popular in America thanks to their presence in some historic New Orleans coffee shops, such as the famous Café du Monde. Adding lemon zest is a personal touch that gives the dessert a fresh and light aroma, typical of Italian recipes.