Bugnes Lyonnaises (New Orleans Style Beignets)

Who can refuse a deep-fried pastry? Not me, for sure! These bugnes lyonnaises, also known as New Orleans style beignets, are made to celebrate carnival. They are so easy to make and require no proving because guess what, no yeast! Just some rest time in the refrigerator so you can properly roll them out. Easy. The hard choice being, should you sprinkle with powdered sugar or roll them in granulated sugar? Any excuse to make these New Orleans-style beignets is good with me. Even if it's not Mardi Gras! Can't wait for you to try these bugnes out!

What is a bugne?

The word bugne means "beignet" in French, which means donut in English, but don't be confused they are not the same. They are an old pastry that existed already in Roman times and were consumed at the time of "carnival" or Mardi Gras. Almost every European country has its own version. I got to know this French version in school, and I loved them.

The bugne is a thin pastry, that uses baking powdered as a leavening agent, is scented with lemon scent, deep fried and then covered in sugar or dusted with powdered sugar.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon zest: to flavor the dough. It must be freshly grated because it will dry out and lose its flavor if done in advance.
• Baking powder: this is the leavening agent used in this recipe to make these bugnes soft and fluffy.
• Butter: this bugnes recipe calls for softened butter.
• Sunflower oil: or any other neutral oil for deep frying the bugnes.
• A pasta cutter wheel: it is used to cut the dough in a fluted manner. You can replace it with a pizza cutter or a knife.
• Thermometer: this is used to measure the oil temperature. You can fry the bugnes if you don't have one. Read below for all the tips.

How to make this recipe

Recipe Notes

Bugnes are easy to prepare. The tricky part is that the dough could get sticky when rolling it out so it's best to work with it when it's cold. You should:

• Bugnes are easy to prepare. The tricky part is that the dough could get sticky when rolling it out so it's best to work with it when it's cold.
• Make sure your work surface is always lightly flowered as it will prevent the dough from breaking and sticking to the table.
• Refrigerate for about 20 minutes as it has to be cold so that you can properly shape the bugnes. If you feel the dough getting sticky and difficult to work with, cover once again and put the dough back in the fridge until it has hardened a bit. Patience is important in pastry making! I learned it the hard way!
• Use a pasta cutter wheel to cut the bugnes. You can use a knife or pizza cutter if you don't have one.
• Cut small windows at the center of each bugnes and open it up slightly so that that properly cook through when deep-frying.

Note: if you feel the dough getting sticky and difficult to work with, cover once again and put the dough back in the fridge until it has hardened a bit. Patience is important in pastry making! I learned it the hard way!

Notes on frying the bugnes (spoiler, you can do this without a thermometer)

Before frying anything, you need to prepare your workspace so you can work calmly:

• Fill a large pan with approximately 2 litters of sunflower oil. Heat it to about 170/180 degrees Celsius, check the temperature by clipping the thermometer to the side of the pan.
• Line a baking tray with paper towel. Set a skimmer next to it. Prepare a bowl with plenty of sugar (or a fine mesh and powdered sugar).
• If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the temperature of the oil with small pieces of dough. It needs to start foaming right away and the piece of pastry should rise to the surface in no more than 5 seconds. Then your oil is at good temperature. Otherwise, it's still cold. Be patient and keep testing!
• Fry the bugnes in batches. How many per batch will depend on the size of your pan. I fried 5 or 6 at a time in a 20 cm pan.

Storage Tips

They are best eaten when freshly made. However, they hold their ground for up to 1 day, they become hard after that.

Freezer instructions

You can freeze the dough after you have shaped it into bugnes and before deep frying. To freeze first place the shaped bugnes on top of a baking tray lined with parchment paper (not touching each other) and cover with saran wrap. Place them in the freezer until they are completely hard. Then place them in a freezer bag or freezer container.

They keep for up to 1 month.

To defrost: let them sit at room temperature over a piece of parchment paper for 1 hour or until soft enough to deep fry. Then follow recipe instructions.

Variations to this recipe

You can sprinkle them with powdered sugar instead of rolling them in granulated sugar.

They keep for up to 1 month.

The choice is yours! If you are going for a New Orleans style beignet, then most definitely sprinkle with powdered sugar! I prefer them rolled in regular sugar. Up to you!