Bugnes Lyonnaise (New Orleans Style beignets) are a culinary specialty from the Lyon region in France, recognized by their diamond shape with a small slit in the middle. These beignets are typically prepared for Mardi Gras. They are deep-fried and generously dusted with powdered sugar.
Moist Bugnes
Lyon’s bugnes are one of the must-have beignets eaten on carnival day to celebrate Mardi Gras or the Festival of Lights.
Bugnes can vary in size and thickness depending on the region and the recipe.
The basic ingredients for making bugnes dough are flour, a little sugar, eggs, butter and baker’s yeast. Some additional ingredients can be added for extra flavor, such as orange flower water, rum, vanilla or citrus zest.
There are many different types of bugnes, differing in texture and shape. “Soft bugnes” are thicker and softer, while “crispy bugnes” are thinner and crispier. This difference is achieved by using either baker’s yeast or baking powder.
These beignets are a real treat for pastry lovers. They are often eaten as a snack or for breakfast, but also at any time of day.
Table of Contents
What you’ll love about french bugnes
- Texture: Bugnes are very light and fluffy beignets.
- The taste: The dough is flavored, which gives a delicate and pleasant flavor.
- The shape: Bugnes are traditionally cut in ribbon and diamond shapes, giving them a playful and original appearance.
- A single rise: Unlike other beignets recipes, here there’s no need to leave to rise after shaping.
- Simplicity: The recipe for bugnes is quite simple, with basic ingredients (flour, eggs, butter, sugar, milk) and a very easy and quick shaping process, making it a pastry accessible to everyone.
- Friendliness: Bugnes are often associated with childhood memories, carnival day, and moments shared with family or friends, which adds a friendly and festive dimension to their enjoyment.
Tips for recipe success
- Use ingredients at room temperature. The butter must be soft to incorporate well into the dough.
- Knead the dough for about fifteen minutes to make it smooth and homogenous.
- Leave the dough to rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in volume.
- Roll out the dough to a uniform thickness of 5 mm, or more if you want very thick bugnes.
- The oil should be hot but not smoking. The oil temperature is 170°C (340°F) if you have a thermometer.
- Fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar once slightly cooled, before serving.
Preparation steps:
NB: Find the recipe card with the printable list of ingredients below
Pour the lukewarm water over the dry baker’s yeast and stir to rehydrate.
Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer. Stir to combine.
Make a well in the middle of the flour and break in the eggs. Add the vanilla extract and baking powder.
Knead (with hook) on speed 1 to 2 depending on your mixer for 15 minutes. Gradually add the soft butter as soon as you start kneading. You should get a smooth and homogeneous dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it quickly to gather it into a ball.
Place it in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let it rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for 2 hours until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has risen well, turn it onto a floured surface and punch it down by kneading it a little.
Roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 4 to 5 mm (square or rectangular to avoid too much leftover dough when cutting)
Using a pastry wheel with a serrated edge, cut strips about 6 cm / 2.4 inches wide, more or less, depending on your preference. Cut the bands into diamonds (cut diagonally every 5 cm / 2 inches or so)
Make an incision (slit) in the center of each diamond-shaped piece, which will become the bugnes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan wide enough to avoid splattering.
When the oil starts to shimmer (170°C / 340°F if you have a thermometer), and it is hot, carefully drop the beignets one by one and let them brown.
Once golden on one side, turn them over to brown the other side.
Shaping bugnes
Drain on paper towels and continue frying the remaining bugnes.
Let cool before dusting both sides with powdered sugar.
Enjoy french bugnes lukewarm or cold!
Other recipes for Mardi Gras
Fluffy French Bugnes (New Orleans Style beignets)
EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g all-purpose flour (17.6 oz)
- 4 eggs
- 15 g granulated sugar (0.5 oz )more or less, you can omit it
- 6 g dry yeast (0.2 oz) or 12 g of fresh yeast (0.4 oz)
- 125 g softened butter (4.4 oz)
- 50 ml lukewarm water (1.8 oz)
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 20 ml / 0.7 oz or orange flowers water, rum, or citrus zest
- 1 liter oil for frying (33.8 oz)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
PREPARATION
- Pour the lukewarm water over the dry baker's yeast and stir to rehydrate.
- Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer. Stir to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and break in the eggs. Add the vanilla extract and baking powder.
- Knead (with hook) on speed 1 to 2 depending on your mixer for 15 minutes. Gradually add the soft butter as soon as you start kneading. You should get a smooth and homogeneous dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it quickly to gather it into a ball.
- Place it in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let it rise in a warm place, away from drafts, for 2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has risen well, turn it onto a floured surface and punch it down by kneading it a little.
- Roll out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 4 to 5 mm (square or rectangular to avoid too much leftover dough when cutting)
- Using a pastry wheel with a serrated edge, cut strips about 6 cm / 2.4 inches wide, more or less, depending on your preference. Cut the bands into diamonds (cut diagonally every 5 cm / 2 inches or so)
- Make an incision (slit) in the center of each diamond-shaped piece, which will become the bugnes.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan wide enough to avoid splattering.
- When the oil starts to shimmer (170°C / 340°F if you have a thermometer), and it is hot, carefully drop the beignets one by one and let them brown.
- Once golden on one side, turn them over to brown the other side.
- Drain on paper towels and continue frying the remaining bugnes.
- Let cool before dusting both sides with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy french bugnes lukewarm or cold!
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