Puffy Pillow Beignets
Mandy @ Lady and pups
- Serves
- 20
- Prep Time
- 3 Hours 15 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 Minutes
This Japanese-inspired yeast doughnut incorporates the use of tapioca flour to give these beignets a unique chewiness. And a tiny bit of baking powder creates a hollow center, ready to be filled with your wildest imaginations.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Featured Video
Yes, it is possible to make beignets at home, and you don't have to go to New Orleans to indulge in these delicious, adorable treats. You'll be pleasantly surprised, as the method is far easier than you might think; it just takes a few hours for the dough to proof properly in order to end up with the best texture possible. Here's how to do it: After combining the dry ingredients, stir in the whole milk, then condensed milk and butter. Let it proof for a couple of hours, then perform a series of folds to get that fluffy, pillowy texture. After rolling into a thin sheet, you can opt to cut your shapes into squares or rounds. Feel free to do whatever speaks to you that particular day.
After another rise, the most genius part of this recipe is using a small pot and frying the dough just 2 to 3 pieces at a time. Right when the dough starts warming up, it'll puff up before it gets browned. A light dusting of powdered sugar is all it takes to finish off these delicious beignets. You can opt to fill them if you'd like—just use a piping bag by poking a hole in each beignet and filling with whatever suits your fancy—but the most traditional kind is plain, with the sweet dough as the star of the show. You could also dust with cinnamon for a more breakfast-y treat. Whatever you decide, we highly recommend serving these beignets with a cup of coffee or café au lait.
Directions
- Step 1
In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, yeast, baking powder, and salt. Add the whole milk and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the condensed milk and butter and stir again until the dough is smooth and very sticky. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Step 2
Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape out the dough and dust the top with more flour. Pat down the dough and use a bench scraper to fold the dough onto itself, like folding a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and fold again. Keep in mind that this dough is very sticky, and you will need to continuously dust with more flour. Roll out the dough to a thin sheet about ⅛ inch (0.25 centimeters) thick. Cut the sheet into square shapes (which is easier and faster), or use a pastry cutter to cut out little rounds. Gather the scraps, roll them out, and cut again until all the dough is used.
- Step 3
Arrange the pieces on a flour-dusted baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, until puffed.
- Step 4
in a deep, narrow pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 cups of the oil. The smaller and deeper the pot is, the less oil you’ll need. Once you stick a wooden chopstick into the oil and it starts bubbling at the edges, the oil is ready. Working with 2 to 3 pieces at a time, fry the dough. Once the dough gets heated, it will start to puff up. Flip before the first side gets browned—otherwise, it will always revert back to the same side because of the air on the inside. Keep flipping a few times until both sides are golden brown.
- Step 5
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Step 6
Generously dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.