There’s no cutting out circles. Cut these easily and have amazing square donuts ready all the quicker. Make them dairy or make them pareve.
At our Chanukah content meeting, Renee asked, “What doughnut recipe will we be sharing on BetweenCarpools.com this year?”
And I responded, “Renee. We have sooo many donut recipes on BetweenCarpools. (Not only that. We can also never decide what the right way is to spell it – Donut? Or Doughnut?)
We have classical sufganiyot. We have everyone’s favorite yeshiva donuts (so good!). Then there’s quicker, easier doughnut poppers.
We also have non-traditional donuts like apple cider baked donuts, babka doughnuts, dairy homemade filling, donut machine, donuts with cream cheese filling (you don’t need to make the donuts! Buy the donuts and make the filling.)
That doesn’t even include all the extra toppings we’ve discussed.
So what exactly did we not include?
And then it hit us.
We didn’t talk about the most practical way of making doughnuts! Square ones. Some call them beignets.
What’s so great about square donuts?
There’s no rolling dough into circles, or cutting out circles and having edges you don’t use. They’re simple, quicker, and of course, they taste so good (well, they are still donuts)! All you need to do is roll it out and using a pizza cutter (or a knife) cut squares.
Combine the flour, sugar, eggs, yeast
and milk.
Mix with a wooden spoon.
Cut the margarine or butter into small pieces and add to the bowl.
Knead the dough by hand. (You may need to add a bit of flour, but use as little as possible. A sticky dough yields a fluffier doughnut.)
Sprinkle flour over the rolling surface. Place the dough onto the flour,
and then sprinkle additional flour over the dough.
Roll the dough out in the shape of a half-inch-thick rectangle. (At this point you may add as much flour as you need to ensure that the dough won’t stick to the rolling surface.)
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut squares about 1½ x 1½ inches.
Separate the squares; sprinkle with additional flour if necessary. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
Heat oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes before frying. Slip into hot oil, frying beignets in batches.
Drain on paper towels
and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar
or toss in sugar.
This recipe is adapted from Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking,
Make it dairy or pareve depending on what meal you serve it at!
Square Donuts or Beignets
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ tsp dry yeast
- 1 ¼ cups milk or water
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, at room temperature
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, eggs and warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add the salt and incorporate it into the dough. Cut the margarine into small pieces and add to the bowl. Knead the dough by hand. (You may need to add a bit of flour, but use as little as possible. A sticky dough yields a fluffier doughnut.) Knead for a minimum of 5 minutes. Cover the dough and let rise for 1½ – 2 hours in a warm draft-free spot.
- Sprinkle flour over the rolling surface. Place the dough onto the flour, and then sprinkle additional flour over the dough. Roll the dough out in the shape of a half-inch-thick rectangle. (At this point you may add as much flour as you need to ensure that the dough won't stick to the rolling surface.)
- Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut squares about 1½ x 1½ inches. Separate the squares; sprinkle with additional flour if necessary. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes before frying. Slip into hot oil, frying beignets in batches.
- Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or toss in sugar.
Notes
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