Easy Beignet Recipe! (Fried dough) (2024)

FAQs

Are beignets the same as fried dough? ›

A beignet is a sweet fried dough with origins in the fine pastry capital of the world: France. It's also common to find these in areas with heavy French influence, like New Orleans, where they are ubiquitous.

A beignet is a yeast-risen dough that is rolled out, cut into square shapes, and deep-fried until golden brown. A hollow pocket forms in the center of the beignet when frying. Right when the beignets come out of the frying oil, they are rolled in copious amounts of powdered sugar.

If you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a large, deep saucepan, a Dutch oven, or a heavy-bottomed pot with tall sides. These options will provide enough space for the beignets to fry properly. How do I know when the oil is hot enough? To check if the oil is hot enough for frying, you can use a kitchen thermometer.

You can refrigerate uncooked dough for up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container. Just be sure to take it out of the fridge and allow to come back up to temperature before frying, You never want to add cold dough to a fryer.

It is delicious comfort food. This fried bread is crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

The texture of a good beignet is also juicier and the individual doughs balls are less splintered than the funnels of a funnel cake. A beignet looks more similar to a powdered donut than a funnel cake.

Why are my beignets raw in the middle? Oil that's too hot will quickly brown the beignets before the centers have a chance to cook. Make sure to check your oil temperature, and reduce the heat if your beignets are browning too quickly.

Do not add too many pieces to the oil or else the oil temperature will drop and your beignets will be fry up flat. They will not puff up. The only other reason the dough does not puff up would be if you rolled the beignet dough too flat. Try rolling the dough a little thicker.

The difference between classic French beignets and the New Orleans-style fritters seen can be found in the preparation of the dough. The former is made from pâte à choux, while those from the Big Easy are made from leavened dough that's cut into squares and fried until crispy on the outside and airy within.

If you want to prepare the dough ahead of time, you can do a slow rise in the refrigerator overnight. Then you can roll it out and cut the beignets. Since the dough will be cold, let the cut beignets come to room temp for about 30 minutes before frying.

Are beignets supposed to be hollow? ›

Finally, the beignets made from dough that rested two hours and then was rolled, cut, and fried had more of a hollow center — light and airy and perfect for filling with Nutella etc, if you'd be so inclined.

Peanut oil is our favorite deep-frying oil; it has a higher smoke point and neutral flavor. Looking for a gluten-free version of this recipe? Find it here: Gluten-Free Fried Dough.

Beignets really are best served fresh, but if you have any leftover you can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days or even freeze them for 1-2 months. Reheat the beignets in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes to serve them warm.

You can make the dough ahead of time and fry later when you're ready. Here's how: Make the dough as written up until the point of rising. Cover well with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, beaver tails, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers, and buñuelos (in the case of smaller pieces).

Variations of fried dough can be found across cuisines internationally; however, the origin of the term beignet is specifically French.

Donuts (also spelled doughnuts) are deep-fried pastries made from dough. Donut-like fried pastries appear in many forms the world over, both savory and sweet. However, in the United States, donuts are most often sweet treats commonly enjoyed at breakfast.

In the U.S. fried dough is also known as elephant ears, doughboys, and flying saucers.