Chocolate Beignets

Baked Donut

Donuts are usually deep-fried, but this carnival season, I wanted to try a baked version. I found a recipe on “Hervé Cuisine”  website and made a few modifications to it. It was highly appreciated by my family. 😍

 

 

 

Step 1 : Yeast (resting time: 10 minutes)

1. Warm the ½ cup + 2 tbsp (120 ml) of milk in a small saucepan. Pour it into a large glass and add the yeast and a small amount of ½ tsp (4 g) sugar. Cover the glass with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. While the milk is warming, melt the 0.7 oz (20g) of butter in the warm saucepan and let it cool slightly.
3. Take the egg out of the refrigerator (ideally, it should be at room temperature, so take it out 1 hour before starting the recipe).

Step 2 : Dough (resting time: 1 hour 15 minutes)

1. In a mixing bowl,  combine the flour, and make a well in the center. Add the egg, salt, sugar, vegetable oil, and melted butter. Mix well.
2. Lastly, add the dissolved yeast. Knead the dough by hand for 6 minutes.
3. Oil the bottom of another bowl, place the dough in it, and cover it with a slightly damp clean towel.
4. Let the dough rise in a warm place. Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature 97 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) for 5 minutes.
5. Then, place the dough and a small bowl filled with water in the turned-off oven.

Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.

Step 3 : Donuts (resting time: 45 minutes)

1. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and deflate the dough.
2. Roll out the dough to a thickness of approximately 0.6 inche (1.5 cm). Using a glass, cut out rounds. Place a square of milk chocolate in the center of each round and cover it with another round. Pinch the edges tightly to shape the donuts.
3. Cover them again with the towel and let the donuts rest for 30 to 45 minutes in the still-warm oven.

Step 4 : Baking

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Brush the donuts with milk using a pastry brush and bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until they are lightly golden.

Step 5 : Finishing

1. Boil some water and brush the donuts with it as soon as they come out of the oven.
2. Dust them with powdered sugar or granulated sugar.

Enjoy your Chocolate Beignets !

 

Gisou’s Tips and Tricks

• Adding boiling water creates a moist texture that closely resembles fried donuts.
• Placing a bowl of water in the oven helps accelerate the dough rising process and keeps the donuts hydrated during baking.
  Electric ovens tend to dry out the donuts more than gas ovens.
• If you have leftover praline chocolates, such as after the holidays or on other occasions, you can use them instead of chocolate squares.