Belula

Bugnes Lyonnaises (New Orleans Style Beignets)

These bugnes lyonnaises known as New Orleans-style beignets are made to celebrate carnival. They use no yeast, are flavored with lemon, deep-fried, and then covered in sugar.

Belula February 28, 2017 January 25, 2021 Web Story
Bugnes rolled in sugar on a piece of parchment paper

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.

Bugnes inside a basket lined with parchment paper
5 bugnes on a plate filled with granulated 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

The dry ingredients and softened butter in a bowl
The bugnes dough inside a bowl ready to be kneaded
The kneaded bugnes dough shaped into a ball
The bugne dough rolled out to ½ cm
The bugnes dough thinly rolled on a piece of parchment paper with a pasta wheel on the side
A hand cutting the bugnes using a pasta wheel cutter
A hand holding one shaped bugne
Raw bugnes shaped and ready to be fried
5 bugnes on a plate filled with granulated sugar

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.
Bugnes inside a basket lined with parchment paper
Deep fried bugnes on a piece of parchment paper
Bugnes rolled in sugar on a piece of parchment paper

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!

The ingredients used in all recipes on this site are measured using the metric system. I use a scale to be precise with my measurements and ensure good results. If you would also like to use a scale, here are some: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, France.
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings: 60 bugnes
Nutrition: 140 cal
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • All-purpose Flour 400 g
  • Granulated Sugar 50 g
  • Baking Powder 11 g
  • Table Salt 1 g
  • Lemon Zest (zest of 1 lemon) 1
  • Butter (unsalted) 100 g
  • Eggs 4
  • Sunflower Oil (for deep frying) 2 l
  • Sugar (extra for rolling the pastries) 200 g

Procedure

  • 1. Prepare de bugnes dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together all the dry ingredients – flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest. Add the softened butter and using the paddle attachment mix it in. Add the eggs one at a time and mix on medium speed. It might be a little sticky, even if you are tempted to add more flour, do not. It works. Just be patient. Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough by folding half the dough over itself on pressing with the palm of your hand. Knead for a few minutes, until it has come together. Don't over work it. Roll it out up to half a centimeter, transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper (lightly floured also) and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour.
  • 2. Roll out and shape the bugnes: Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1 mm (as thin as you can). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. It has to be cold so that you can properly shape the bugnes. Once it's cold enough, using a knife or a pasta cutter wheel if you have one, cut the dough into rhombus shapes (kind of like tilted rectangles). Finally cut a small window in the middle of the rhombus.
  • 3. Fry the bugnes: 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). Fry the bugnes in batches. Turn them over after 2 or 3 minutes (they have to be beautifully coloured) and cook until golden. Using a skimmer remove and set on the previously lined baking tray.
  • 4. Roll the bugnes in sugar: Transfer to the sugar bowl and roll the pastries in it until properly covered in sugar. To do this the bugnes have to be warm. Or you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Up to you!
If you made this recipe I would really appreciate it if you leave a rating or comment below! Also, if you share on social media please use #cookwithbelula, I would love to see what you create!
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Jack April 28, 2020
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