Soft and Pillowy Vegan Beignets
Ingredients
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1/3 cup barley malt syrup
- 1 tbsp dry active yeast
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (e.g. avocado, canola etc)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 – 4 cups all-purpose flour (512 grams)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-3 cups confectioner’s sugar, for dusting or rolling
- oil, for deep frying
Preparation
Combine the plant-based milk and barley malt syrup, and heat in the microwave or on the stove to bring the temperature to 110°F. Any hotter than this and the yeast may die. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand-mixer, or if doing by hand, into a large bowl. Add in the yeast and let proof for 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
Add in 2 cups of the flour, mixing well. Add in the oil and salt, and then the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, adding more only as necessary. The dough should be very soft and a bit sticky. Resist the urge to add more flour at this point, less is more. Knead for 2 minutes, using a bit of oil on your hands and work surface if things are sticking, not flour.
Spray the bowl with oil, add the dough and then spray the top of the dough so it doesn’t dry out. Cover with a light towel. Let rise for 1.5 hours. Punch down and then return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 360°F.
Punch the dough down and knead into a smooth ball. Roll it out to 1/4" thickness on a very lightly greased work surface. If the dough is resisting, let it rest for 10 minutes (keep it covered under cling wrap). With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 2"x 2" squares.
Fry the dough squares in the preheated oil until golden brown. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
