Homemade Baked Beignets

These soft, pillowy bites of yeasted dough are as delicious as they look. Oh, for those of you who are not acquainted with Beignet, it is usually made with yeast, bread flour, evaporated milk, deep fried and dusted with a generous coating of icing sugar. Think of it as the cousin of churros.

This no-machine needed dough can be easily mixed together by a wooden spoon or hand and instead of deep frying them, I popped them into a preheated oven of 180°C/350°F and baked them to golden brown perfection. You could definitely deep fry them as well in medium hot oil for a couple of minutes.

They taste great with some homemade chocolate sauce.

Just like churros, these Homemade Baked Beignets taste best when served immediately. They tend to dry out a little when left to cool at room temperature. If you are consuming them in small batches, store the rest of the uncooked dough in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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Ingredients:

¾ cup (170 g) lukewarm water (approx. 38°C)
1 tsp active dry yeast
3 ½ cup (525g) bread flour
1/3 cup (75 g) sugar
1 large egg (approx. 60 g)
1 tsp salt
½ cup (115 ml) evaporated milk
2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter – melted
Glaze:
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter – melted
Icing sugar for dusting

Makes 60

Recipe adapted from: Claire K Creations

The line up.

Mix the sugar with lukewarm water and sprinkle the active yeast into the water. Stir lightly and let it rest for 5 mins.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt together.

Add in yeast mixture, melted butter and stir lightly.

In two batches, add in bread flour and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.

Use your hand and lightly bring the dough together. It will quite sticky and that’s okay.

Gently lift the sticky dough out from the bowl and it should not stick to the bottom of the bowl.

Transfer into a light greased large bowl and cover tightly with cling wrap and drape a tea towel over it.

Place in a warm spot (I like to leave it in my oven with light on) and let it rise and proof for 2 hours until it doubles its size. You could prepare the dough 2 days in advance and leave it in the fridge.

The dough is ready!

Dust your work counter with some flour and turn the dough out from the bowl.

Lightly dust your rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough into ¼ inch thick.

Use a ruler or measuring tape and cut them into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter would be helpful in the cutting.

Like so.

Place the square dough onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving about ½ inch gap between them to rise further. Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let them rise for 30 – 35 mins.

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

Brush the top of each risen dough lightly with some milk. This will produce a golden crust when baked.

Bake for 12 – 15 mins until golden brown.

Remove from oven and brush each beignet with some melted butter.

Generously dust icing sugar all over the beignets.

Serve warm.

Homemade Baked Beignets

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

37 mins

Author: Bear Naked Food

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: makes 60 2-inch pieces

Ingredients

¾ cup (170 g) lukewarm water (approx. 38°C)
1 tsp active dry yeast
3 ½ cup (525g) bread flour
⅓ cup (75 g) sugar
1 large egg (approx. 60 g)
1 tsp salt
½ cup (115 ml) evaporated milk
2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter – melted
Glaze:
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter – melted
Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

Mix the sugar with lukewarm water and sprinkle the active yeast into the water. Stir lightly and let it rest for 5 mins.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and salt together.
Add in yeast mixture, melted butter and stir lightly.
In two batches, add in bread flour and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.
Use your hand and lightly bring the dough together. It will quite sticky and that’s okay.
Gently lift the sticky dough out from the bowl and it should not stick to the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer into a light greased large bowl and cover tightly with cling wrap and drape a tea towel over it.
Place in a warm spot (I like to leave it in my oven with light on) and let it rise and proof for 2 hours until it doubles its size. You could prepare the dough 2 days in advance and leave it in the fridge.
Dust your work counter with some flour and turn the dough out from the bowl.
Lightly dust your rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough into ¼ inch thick.
Use a ruler or measuring tape and cut them into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter would be helpful in the cutting.
Place the square doughs onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving about ½ inch gap between them to rise further. Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let them rise for 30 – 35 mins.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
Brush the top of each risen dough lightly with some milk. This will produce a golden crust when baked.
Bake for 12 – 15 mins until golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush each beignet with some melted butter.
Generously dust icing sugar all over the beignets.
Serve warm.