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**Beignets** are little square fritters that are commonly found in Louisiana, particularly New Orleans. They were introduced to New Orleans by French Acadians in the early 1700s. Probably the most famous place to get them in New Orleans is Café du Monde, although there’s a lot of debate about who actually makes the best ones in the city. They go really well with café au lait!
Some Beignets are **yeast risen** and some are **steam risen**. The ones that are steam risen are made with pâte à choux, which is also how eclairs and profiteroles (and some churros) are made. This recipe is yeast risen, which in my experience is more common these days, at least in the U.S.
1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast (7 g)
1 1/2 cups warm water (105° to 115°), divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
1 cup evaporated milk (250ml)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening (56g)
6 1/2 to 7 cups bread flour (780g to 840g)
Vegetable oil
Sifted powdered sugar
Step 1
Make the yeast mixture: Combine yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tsp. granulated sugar in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Add milk, eggs, salt, and remaining granulated sugar.
Step 2
Form a dough: Microwave remaining 1 cup water until hot (about 115°); stir in shortening until melted. Add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed, gradually adding 4 cups flour, until smooth. Gradually add remaining 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, beating until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.
Step 3
Roll and cut: Turn dough out onto a floured surface; roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.
Step 4
Fry until golden: Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 360°. Fry dough, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack. Dust immediately with powdered sugar.
**A note on the fat:** They use vegetable oil here, which I’m not sold on. I think Canola gets better results–and you’ll get nicer browning with peanut oil, which is another option. If you really just don’t give a shit about your arteries, you can bring out the big guns and fry them in lard—that will get you the best results of all.
**About the resting time**: They write “4 to 24 hours” in the refrigerator in this recipe. This means chill for at least 4 hours, but fry before it hits 24 hours. That’s going to be your optimal window. So you could make this dough the morning before, the night before, etc.