Free Online Baked Beignet Class and Recipe

February 20th, 1-1:45pm CT via zoom. Registration link and recipe below. Gluten and Dairy Free Optional.

This is a bonus free online class as these are a new family favorite and I wanted to share it with you all as well! I offer only limited in person cooking classes as BMK has changed as a business, but will continue to offer one or two free online class each year as a thank you to all who have supported me through the years both online and in person! If you are looking for a leadership speaker or consultant, please reach out or you can check out more information on my website.

Registration is required on zoom to join live, you can however always watch live or on demand on my facebook page. Register HERE.

Baked Beignets

This recipe was used for an online baking class- you can watch the video of the class under the video tab on my facebook page after 2/20/2023: https://www.facebook.com/beckysmindfulkitchen

Ingredients

1 packet yeast (active or fast rising, 2.25tsp)
3/4 c warm water (around 100 degrees)
1/4 c fine white sugar (You can- BUT DO NOT HAVE TO- put 1/2 cup of sugar in a coffee grinder or I used an immersion blender and grind the sugar even finer. This will allow for a better and faster rise and improved the overall taste slightly but wasn't noticeable unless you have taste tested 7 batches in a row and have super critical taste testers or in my case, children)
3 T melted butter (you can use melted coconut oil as well to make this DF)
1/2 c buttermilk (can use milk substitute). To make your own, add a 2 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup, add in milk until it reaches the 1/2c mark. Make sure to measure liquids at eye level.
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla, you can do 1tsp vanilla and 1tsp another extract such as maple, almond… etc if you want to get creative
3 1/2-4 c all purpose flour OR measure for measure GF flour (I used King Arthur's GF blend. Do not use almond flour or any other GF flour that isn't 1:1 ratio to all purpose)
OPTIONAl: spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg… pumpkin spice blends- this would be if you wanted to again get creative with your bake.

Before Baking

A few tablespoons of milk to brush on top before baking

After Baking

melted butter to brush on top of freshly baked beignets (or just use a stick of butter and rub on top of hot out of the oven beignets)
powdered sugar to dust tops of beignets (we heavily dust, like top of ceiling fan layer of dust)
If you don't plan on eating them all at once, you may want to wait to butter and powder them and simply pop in the microwave the next morning for 30 seconds or so and then add the butter and sugar.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 or have it on proof setting.
In the bottom of the stand mixer bowl (or mixing bowl if doing this by hand), add warm water, yeast and sugar. Lightly whisk and then let sit for 5-10 minutes.
While that sits, make buttermilk in the liquid measuring cup you used to measure the water. You can also use regular milk- the buttermilk adds to the flavor.
Melt 3 T butter (you can use oil as well if you don't have butter)
If you are itching to keep prepping while that yeast starts to bubble and foam up, you can beat the egg in a separate small bowl, and add the vanilla to that.
Otherwise, once you see that the yeast is alive (bubbled and grown), add in egg and beat into the mixture (using whisk attachment or can do by hand with a fork or whisk), then add in vanilla, buttermilk and butter and salt- mix well.
Swap out whisk for dough hook or sturdy spoon/spatula. Slowly add in flour (like 1/4-1/2c at a time and mix well. It will stay sticky until about 3 1/2c of flour in. Keep adding in a few spoonfuls of flour in at a time until the dough pulls cleanly away from the side of the bowl, or with clean non goopy hands, you can start to knead the dough. You don't want to add too much flour, the dough will be still be a bit tacky to the touch.
Once it isn't clinging to the side of the bowl, you will knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly greased glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and put in oven on proof setting OR turn off oven, place inside and leave door cracked open. Make sure nothing that can catch on fire is touching a heating element.
Let rise for 15-20min.
Remove bowl and keep oven on proof setting or turn back on to 200 degrees.
On a floured surface roll out dough or you can also stretch it by hand if you are okay with it not being perfect. You want the dough to be about 1/4in thick- too think and you won't have puffy scrumptious beignets.
Cut dough into squares (I do a mix of squares, rectangles, along with with a mix of sizes, but if you like uniformity and precision, stick around 2 -3in squares- you can also use cookie cutters to make different shapes). Place them on parchment lined baking sheets. I normally use 3 baking sheets to bake all of them at once, but you can do them in shifts.
You will be covering the sheets with plastic wrap or a cloth. I found that spraying the plastic wrap is useful, because it will stick to the dough, HOWEVER- its okay if it does, just be careful when removing it and be okay with a bit of lost dough.
Place baking sheets in oven on proof setting Or turn off oven, and leave door slightly ajar. Let rise until doubled in height, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and preheat to 375.
Brush tops of beignets with milk and bake for 10-15 minutes. My kids like them when they are just barely getting a tinge of light brown on top.
Cover generously with butter and powdered sugar- Enjoy!

Store in airtight container and warm the next day before eating. You can also freeze them. We have warmed them up for 2 subsequent mornings and they were still delicious.

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