Beignets

by

Makes 20–24

½ cup water, lukewarm

½ cup milk, lukewarm

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

Canola oil

Powdered sugar

In a stand mixer, combine all ingredients except oil and powdered sugar. Mix and knead in bowl until you have a soft, smooth dough. Cover dough and allow to rise for 1 hour or until it is puffy (not necessarily doubled in bulk). Gently deflate dough, and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. (Dough will keep up to a week in refrigerator and actually improves with age. Occasionally punch down dough when it rises. Dough can also be frozen; roll out and cut/shape beignets before freezing.)

Remove dough from refrigerator, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a 14-inch-by-10-inch rectangle, and cut dough into 2-inch squares. If dough is difficult to roll, let it warm up a little first.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, pour canola oil about 1½–2 inches deep. Allow oil to reach 375 F. Drop 5 or 6 squares of dough into hot oil. They may sink to the bottom, then after about 5 seconds, rise to the top. Fry beignets for 1 minute, then turn them over. Fry another minute, until puffed and golden brown all over. Remove from oil, and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. When beignets are cool, sprinkle them heavily with powdered sugar.

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Recipe tip

What’s the difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast?

Both are dry powders that are dormant living organisms until activated by lukewarm liquids. Active dry yeast has larger granules and requires “proofing,” meaning the liquid must be added to the yeast to activate it before adding to the rest of the dough ingredients. Instant yeast has smaller granules and is added directly to the dry ingredients, with the liquid added last.

Both are interchangeable in recipes; however, the instant yeast will generally require an additional 10–15 minutes of rising time. The advantages of instant yeast are that it is far less expensive than active dry yeast and can be stored in the freezer for over five years. The advantage of active dry yeast is that it only requires one rising—after kneading, you can shape it, put it in the pan and let it rise once before baking. Instant yeast requires an additional rising before being baked.

Whether you are using the active dry or instant yeast, remember to have the liquid at the proper temperature—110–115 degrees. If the liquid is too cool or too warm, the yeast will not activate, and you will have to start from scratch.