Beignet (New Orleans Square Fried Dough with Powdered Sugar)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Beignets are New Orleans-style square doughnuts made from a yeast dough enriched with milk, egg, and butter, then finished with a generous coating of powdered sugar.
Read more
Mix the flour, yeast, and sugar evenly before adding milk and egg, then knead in softened butter until the surface becomes smooth and the dough stretches with some resistance. A slight tackiness can remain. Proof it in a warm place until doubled and a fingertip mark returns slowly, which is a more useful cue than relying on the clock alone. Press out excess gas gently, roll the dough to 1 cm thickness, and cut it into 5 cm squares. Give the cut pieces another 15 minutes to puff lightly before frying. At 170C, each square expands quickly and forms an airy center under a thin golden shell. Keep the oil temperature steady by frying in manageable batches, and cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes. Cooler oil encourages the dough to absorb more fat, while overly thin pieces lose the full, soft center associated with a well-risen beignet. Drain the fried squares briefly and dust them while still warm so the powdered sugar catches on the surface and begins to melt. Serve promptly for the clearest contrast between the light crust, fluffy center, and cool sweetness of the sugar.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Let 140ml milk lose its chill, then mix 280g all-purpose flour, 5g instant yeast, and 35g sugar first.
Add the milk and 1 egg, stirring until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour pockets left in the bowl.
- 2Step
Add 30g softened butter and knead for at least 10 minutes.
Stop when the dough looks smoother, stretches with some resistance, and feels elastic, even if it remains slightly tacky to the hands.
- 3Control
Place the dough in a bowl, cover it, and proof in a warm spot for about 1 hour.
It is ready when doubled in size and a fingertip mark slowly springs back instead of closing immediately.
- 4Heat
Lightly flour the work surface and gently press out excess gas from the dough.
Roll it to 1cm thickness and cut into 5cm squares, avoiding a thin sheet so the centers stay fluffy after frying.
- 5Control
Set the cut pieces apart, cover with a kitchen towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
When they puff slightly again, heat the oil to 170°C and keep the temperature steady before adding dough.
- 6Finish
Lower the dough carefully into the oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Remove when golden, drain briefly on kitchen paper, then dust immediately with 40g powdered sugar and serve while warm and crisp.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Twice-risen yeast dough is cut into 5 cm squares.
- Finish cue
- Remove when golden, drain briefly on kitchen paper, then dust immediately with 40g powdered sugar and serve while warm and crisp.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 7 ingredients
Category median
55min, 8 ingredients
Based on 248 recipes
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