Sourdough Beignets
Tina BevkFluffy, lightly crisp, and dusted with powdered sugar, these sourdough beignets are a delicious treat that you can make ahead with an overnight cold proof. Perfect for a weekend morning or a special brunch, so you can just fry them fresh and deal with all the prep the day before.
They are also an easy alternative to sourdough bomboloni for Mardi Gras – some of my kids actually prever beignets!
Ingredients
- Cream: Makes the dough extra soft and gives the beignets a richer flavor.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps with browning.
- Active Sourdough Starter: The natural leavening that gives beignets a light, airy texture and a deeper flavor.
- Egg: Adds structure and helps with a fluffy interior. Also adds a nice color.
- Butter: Makes the beignets soft and rich.
- Bread Flour & All-Purpose Flour: A mix of both gives structure while keeping the beignets soft and tender.
- Salt: Just a little is needed to balance the sweetness and enhance flavor.
- Neutral Oil: Used for frying, without overpowering the taste.
- Powdered Sugar: The classic finishing touch for a light coating.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Beignets
Prepare the Dough: Gently warm the cream until just lukewarm (avoid overheating), then stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Let it cool if necessary.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if kneading manually), combine the cream mixture, sourdough starter, egg, and melted butter.
Add the flours and salt, then mix on low speed (or by hand) until the dough comes together. Increase speed to medium and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Alternative Method: You can also mix the dough by hand—combine all ingredients, let it rest for 30 minutes, then perform about 3 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals. Proceed with the bulk fermentation as described below.
First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for 6-8 hours (closer to 6 for me!), or until doubled in size.
Cold Proof (Optional but Recommended for Better Flavor & Timing Flexibility): Refrigerate the risen dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours, to enhance flavor and make handling easier.
Shape & Second Rise: Generously flour a work surface, then roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to slice into 1 ½-inch squares. Arrange the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let them rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until puffy.
Fry the Beignets: Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 340-360°F. Fry 3-5 beignets at a time, flipping after 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to absorb excess oil.
Serve: Generously dust with powdered sugar and enjoy while warm.
Hint: Check the oil temperature frequently while frying to prevent burning or soggy beignets.
Baking Schedule
Option 1: Same-Day Method
- 8:00 AM: Mix the dough
- 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM: Bulk fermentation (6 hours)
- 2:30 PM: Roll, cut, and shape the beignets
- 2:45 PM – 4:15 PM: Second rise (1.5-2 hours)
- 4:15 PM: Fry and serve
Option 2: Overnight Cold Proof for Better Flavor & Flexibility
- Evening (6:00 PM): Mix the dough
- 6:30 PM – 12:30 AM: Bulk fermentation (6 hours)
- 12:30 AM: Place dough in the fridge overnight
- Next Day (3:00 PM): Roll, cut, and shape the beignets
- 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Second rise (1.5-2 hours)
- 4:45 PM: Fry and serve
Substitutions & Variations
- No cream? Use whole milk instead.
- Cinnamon Sugar Beignets: Instead of powdered sugar, toss the warm beignets in cinnamon sugar.
- Filled Beignets: After frying, inject pastry cream, jam, or Nutella inside for a bomboloni-style beignets.
💭Crucial Success Tips
As always, go by the dough, not by the clock. If your kitchen is cooler, bulk fermentation may take closer to 8 hours. Since this dough contains some fat and sugar, I find that it’s difficult to overproof, so when in doubt, leave it to ferment a bit longer.
FAQ
No, but it helps develop flavor and makes shaping easier.
Use neutral oils like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil for the best results.
Yes, but they won’t be as airy. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar.
Sourdough Beignets
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cream warm, not hot
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 175 g sourdough starter active
- 1 egg large
- 3 tbsp butter melted, cooled
- 1 ¾ cups bread flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- Neutral oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Gently warm the cream until just lukewarm (avoid overheating), then stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Let it cool if necessary.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if kneading manually), combine the cream mixture, sourdough starter, egg, and melted butter.
- Add the flours and salt, then mix on low speed (or by hand) until the dough comes together. Increase speed to medium and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Alternative Method: You can also mix the dough by hand—combine all ingredients, let it rest for 30 minutes, then perform about 3 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals. Proceed with the bulk fermentation as described below.
First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature (70-75°F) for 6-8 hours (closer to 6 for me!), or until doubled in size.
Cold Proof (Optional but Recommended for Better Flavor & Timing Flexibility)
- Refrigerate the risen dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours, to enhance flavor and make handling easier.
Shape & Second Rise
- Generously flour a work surface, then roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
- Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to slice into 1 ½-inch squares.
- Arrange the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let them rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until puffy.
Fry the Beignets
- Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 340-360°F.
- Fry 3-5 beignets at a time, flipping after 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to absorb excess oil.
Serve
- Generously dust with powdered sugar and enjoy while warm.
Nutrition
How To Store Sourdough Beignets
- Room Temperature: Keep beignets loosely covered for up to 1 day. They’re best fresh!
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: In theory, as with any brioche style dough, you should be able to freeze unfried dough squares or fried beignets for up to 2 months and then fry them as fresh – but I’ve never done that with beignet dough, so please let me know how it goes if you try that so I can include more info here!
