Bengiets

Like anyone else who knows what a beignet truly is, I first experienced it in New Orleans.  My sister had just graduated from high school, and we travelled down for a long weekend.  She had her first beer, and I had my first beignet.  And then my second and third.  Actually, we started every day at Cafe du Monde, and moved through it covered in confectioners sugar.  

I wasn’t a stranger to doughnuts.  I’d spent plenty of occasions with a box of munchkins, and pretty much thought that was the standard bearer back in the day.  It was a party when the munchkin box arrived, or it was Saturday.  And of course, who born before 1990,  doesn’t have that baby photo of a face smeared with jelly, after the first known doughnut experience? My standards were not that high to start.

Since then, I’ve eaten a lot of doughnuts, made a lot of doughnuts, but this one is still my favorite.   What makes them different?  Well, in my recipe there is zest, which adds a dynamic flavor component to brighten up a rather simple profile.   Like the original, they should be heavily doused with powdered sugar.  They are a two day project.  Make the dough day 1, roll, proof and fry day 2.  They are straight forward, but never call them simple.  Anything that gets this much attention to detail must be respected.   While you’re waiting, you can make the dulce de leche to go with it, or buy it pre made.  Sauce isn’t necessary with these babies, but its not at all bad.

Now in my actual recipe, it says things like “make dough”.  I’ll try to give you a little more than that, but you’re likely to have questions.   Send them along!

Ingredients:

Whole Milk 280 g

Granulated sugar 100g

Instant yeast 7 g

Kosher salt 5 g

Lemons zested 3

Eggs 2

Unsalted butter, 

melted and cooled 170 g

All purpose flour 495 g

Confectioners Sugar 

for garnish 200g or as desired

Directions:

Warm the milk slightly. No more than body temperature, or 100 degrees.

Whisk in yeast, and sugar and allow to sit at room temperature to proof, 10

minutes.

Add yeast/milk mixture, eggs and melted butter in the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer.

Whisk to combine.

Add flour, lemon zest and salt and mix on medium speed  (2-3 speed for kitchen aid) with the paddle attachment until gluten network has formed. Check via the window pane test. This will take a while, 7-10 minutes.  Yes, you can do this by hand.  Go you!

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and proof at room temp for one hour.  I like to write the time I put it down to rest in sharpie, on the plastic…. I will definitely forget.

Prepare a sheet pan- spray it with pan release, line with parchment, and spray again with pan release.   Transfer the dough to the pan, and press to be somewhat flat, about 1” thick.  Cover with plastic wrap, loosely- pull out sheets of plastic wrap nice and long, and place the sheet pan on top, and fold it up loosely, but fully covering the dough to allow for growth.  Depending on the sheet you use, and the size of your plastic wrap, this may take 3-4 sheets.   Refrigerate overnight.  

Next day, roll dough to about 1/4" thick, using a rolling pin, and a small amount of bench flour as needed to prevent sticking. Using pizza wheel or sharp long knife, 

cut 3" squares. Try not to pull the dough when cutting with a knife, one straight cut.  

Allow the squares to sit, covered with a clean kitchen towel, for about 20 minutes.

While you’re waiting, heat oil in a dutch oven or other pan suitable for deep frying to 365 degrees.  Prepare a frying station, with sheet tray, either with a rack on it or with layers of paper towels.   Have tongs or a spider at hand.  

Place the beignets carefully into the hot oil, using the spider, or your fingers you rebel.  Fry turning to cook both sides evenly until fully cooked and golden brown.  Try as best you can to moderate the oil temperature, and don’t over crowd the pan.  As you add them, the oil temperature will drop. As you cook it will go up. Check it between batches to avoid greasy or burnt beignets.  If the oil is too hot, add some new cold oil to moderate it.

Allow them to cool a bit before dusting them heavily, aggressively even, with powdered sugar to serve.