High Altitude Beignets
These homemade beignets are light and airy, flavored with vanilla, nutmeg and fresh orange zest, fried until golden brown and covered in powdered sugar.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan (for deep frying)
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups bread flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp freshly grated orange zest
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 qt vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, measure the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, salt, nutmeg and orange zest.
- In the microwave or on the stove, warm the water and milk until it reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the shortening into the hot liquid, to help it soften and melt a little.
- Add the water, milk, shortening, egg and vanilla extract to the flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
Rise and Chill the Dough
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl that's at least twice as big as the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
- Set the bowl in a warm place (such as inside your oven using the "bread proof" setting), and let rise until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
- Set the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight. I find it easiest to let the dough chill overnight, then fry the beignets in the morning.
Fry the Beignets
- Pour the oil into a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan. I use a pan that's about 10-12 inches in diameter with a depth of 4-5 inches. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan so the tip is submerged in the oil. Over medium to medium low heat, steadily heat the oil to between 360-365F.
- Meanwhile, scrape the cold dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flour the top of the dough, and gently press the air out. Roll the dough out into a rectangle measuring 12x15 inches and about 1/4 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or a rolling pastry wheel cutter to cut the dough into 20 squares measuring 3x3 inches. Separate the squares so they're not touching while you wait for the oil to heat.
- Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towels.
- When the oil is hot, fry the beignets in batches of 4 at a time, so the pan isn't crowded. When you drop the dough into the hot oil, they will float on top and puff up. Fry them for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown, then flip them and fry the other side for another minute or so until golden brown. Use a strainer to remove the beignets from the oil, and set them on the paper towels to soak up any excess oil. The white ring around the sides is characteristic of a well-fried doughnut, since the light, airy dough should float on top of the oil, and not remain submerged.
- Watch the temperature of your oil and adjust the heat of the burner as needed. When deep frying, it's important to carefully maintain the temperature of your oil. If it gets too hot, your beignets will burn on the outside and remain raw inside. If it's too cold, the beignets will stay flat instead of puffing up, absorb too much oil, and become heavy and greasy rather than light and crispy. You can expect the temperature to drop by 5-10 degrees when you drop the dough in, but it should recover quickly.
Finish with Powdered Sugar
- Coat the hot beignets in the powdered sugar, or just use a sifter to sift the sugar over the top of them. Serve immediately.
- Beignets are known for having a large air pocket inside, which you can also fill with jam, custard, or whipped cream. If filling the beignets, do this before adding the powdered sugar.
Notes
Beignets are not great leftover, and will not keep until the next day. They are best eaten immediately after frying.
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