Vanilla French Beignets
Delicious homemade beignets, soft and fluffy, dusted with powdered sugar.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or large bowl For mixing the dough.
- Deep frying pot For frying beignets.
- Wire cooling rack To drain excess oil.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3.75 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.75 cup warm water
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 2.25 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 0.5 cup milk or evaporated milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 0.5 cup powdered sugar
- 3 inches vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and half of the sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast activates.
- In a separate bowl, mix 3 3/4 cups of flour with salt and set aside.
- Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add the milk, vanilla, remaining sugar, and egg. Whisk together, then add half of the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Attach a dough hook and add the remaining flour, mixing on medium speed. When the dough forms, add the butter and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl, about 4 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for at least two hours, or refrigerate for up to 48 hours for added flavor.
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large pot to 360°F. Place a wire cooling rack lined with paper towels nearby to drain excess oil.
- Roll the risen dough on a floured surface into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 2-2 1/2 inch squares using a pizza cutter.
- Fry the beignets in batches of 3-4 at a time until golden on both sides. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon onto the paper towels. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot, as it can lower the oil temperature.
- Dust the warm beignets with powdered sugar and enjoy! For extra flavor, consider adding cinnamon or lemon zest to the powdered sugar before dusting.
Notes
You can customize your beignets by adding cinnamon or lemon zest to the powdered sugar for extra flavor.