Easy Sourdough Beignets Recipe

These easy sourdough beignets are light, airy, and perfectly crisp. Made with a sourdough starter and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and honey, they are the perfect rustic dessert to serve this time of year. 

Since my daughter was very little we would go to Disneyland at least once a year. I realize this might sound excessive but it was our first choice for family vacations and we have pretty much always lived in drivable distance to the park. One of our favorite stops is New Orleans town, a place with lively music, beautiful scenery, and where some of the best foods in the whole park are located.

If you have never been, Blue Bayou is simply a must. Just a few steps outside this amazing candlelit restaurant is a little walk-up beignet vendor that serves light golden beignets topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. Their light airy texture and sweet flavor are a taste that takes me instantly back.

Making beignets at home might seem tricky at first. After all a good beignet is airy and light, unlike a cake-like donut that is much more dense in texture. The secret to this is to only allow the dough to rise once before frying.

With a sourdough starter, this takes nothing more than a little patience and a good heavy pot for frying them up. Unlike beignets made from deep fried choux pastry, these sourdough beignets more closely resemble beignets made from store bought yeast. The enriched dough is slightly stiffer than bread dough however a series of simple stretches and folds remains in my opinion the best way to build the gluten before the bulk rise. 

Sourdough Beignets Are…

• Delicious puffs of golden brown goodness.
• Similar to traditional beignets only made with a sourdough starter.
• A good choice to make for a fun dessert.
• Lightly fried in a pot of oil or can be made in a deep fryer.
• Topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

Ingredients

Flour- all-purpose flour works perfectly for these beignets. 

Sourdough Starter- use a fed active starter. The starter should be fed at least 4 hours before mixing up the dough. 

Sugar- I like to use pure cane unrefined sugar but regular white sugar will work fine. Powder sugar is also used to dust the beignets just before serving.

Water- use standard drinking water or filtered water at room temperature.

Egg- use a large egg for this.

Butter- I use salted butter but you can use unsalted too if you like. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp of sea salt when first mixing up the dough. 

Vanilla Extract- use a real vanilla extract, not imitation. I like to use my homemade vanilla extract as I make it in large batches and keep it on hand year-round. 

Oil- you can fry these in any neutral oil you prefer. Popular oils are canola oil or vegetable oil. I like to fry mine in tallow or coconut oil. I get golden brown results every time. 

Honey- I use raw honey but filtered honey works fine. It is not necessary but highly suggested to drizzle them with honey just before serving.

Tools

Large Slotted Spoon or Spider Strainer

Large Pot or Dutch oven

Candy Thermometer

Sharp Knife (a pastry wheel or pizza roller also work well)

Bench Scraper

Directions 

In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter, flour, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, egg, and water with a fork. The dough will have a shaggy appearance. Cover it with a damp towel and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. After the first dough rest, begin with the first stretch and fold.

Pick up a corner of the dough, pull it up, and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl slightly. Then repeat. Continue for two more stretches. Folding 4 times total for the set. When complete, place the damp towel over the bowl and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Continue to do 3 more sets of stretches and folds exactly the same way with a 30-minute rest between each set. After the final set, transfer the dough ball to a greased bowl, cover the dough and allow it to sit overnight or 8-12 hours for the bulk rise.

How To Stretch and Fold

The next morning, uncover the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. The dough will be a little tacky, use your bench scraper and lightly flour the dough if needed. Roll out the dough into a rectangle with a rolling pin.

Cut the beignet dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza roller. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep cast-iron pan. Meanwhile, take a cooling rack and cover it with paper towels to catch the grease. Create an assembly line with the uncooked beignets, hot pan, and cooling rack. You will need to fry in batches. When the oil is ready (350℉-370℉), take several squares and place them in the hot oil.

Don’t overcrowd the pan. Allow them to fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. When golden brown on both sides transfer beignets to the cooling rack. Continue frying the beignets until all are done.

Place the beignets on a serving platter, dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with honey before serving. 

Cooking Notes

• Make sure to start with an active bubbly starter.
• The oil should be between 350℉-370℉ before adding the beignets. 
• You will need to fry these in batches. Be careful not to over crowd the pan.
• Deep frying can be dangerous, remember to never leave the pan unattended or allow small children or animals near.
• This dough will make approximately 50 beignets that are about 1 inch wide. You can make larger beignets if you like.

FAQ 

Can I use bread flour for these?

You can. If using bread flour over all-purpose flour you will need to add slightly more water. I suggest going up to 125g-150g of water. The dough should be a little tacky and slightly moist. You don’t want dry crumbly dough, so add water as needed to adjust. 

Are beignets the same as donuts?

Sourdough beignets are slightly different from donuts as donuts need to rise twice before frying while beignets only rise once. This creates an airier texture. 

How To Store

Beignets taste best when eaten freshly made. However, if you have some leftover, they store well in a plastic zip-top bag and can be reheated in a toaster oven. 

Other Sourdough Recipes To Try…

Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread with a Moist Crumb

Pull-Apart Sourdough Monkey Bread

Decadent Sourdough Chocolate Boule

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!