New Orleans Beignets 🍩

Méthode

1. 1

   Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk; wait 10 minutes until foamy — dead foam means dead beignets.

2. 2

   Beat in eggs and melted butter, then salt and flour; knead 6 minutes to a soft, slightly tacky dough (it should feel like an earlobe, the old French test).

3. 3

   Proof covered 1 hour until doubled. Roll to 6 mm and cut 6 cm squares, rerolling scraps once — they are honest workers, not second-class.

4. 4

   Proof the cut squares another 30 minutes under a cloth; cold dough into hot oil produces grey lead.

5. 5

   Fry 2-3 at a time: 30 seconds, flip with two sticks to keep them square, 30 seconds more. They should be golden outside, airy and pale inside — never brown.

6. 6

   Drain 20 seconds on a rack, then while still hot roll each in a bed of sifted powdered sugar, top and bottom. Serve immediately with café au lait; the sugar cloud is part of the ticket.