French Doughnut

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/3 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 2 eggs , beaten
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup butter (or about 3/4 stick), melted
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. 1In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter.
2. 2Mix in the flour and don't knead. Use the dough hook attachment and mix for about 5 minutes, or until dough begins to pull away from the sides.
3. 3Pour dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, cover and let sit until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
4. 4Place risen dough in the refrigerator overnight.
5. 5The next morning, roll out the refrigerated dough into a rectangle with about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Let dough rest for about 15 minutes.
6. 6Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan with vegetable oil 3 inches deep until the temperature is at about 360 to 370 degrees F (this is VERY important, as the beignets will burn or be too greasy if the temperature is higher or lower than indicated. A candy thermometer works best for measuring the temperature).
7. 7Using a slotted spoon, lower pieces of dough, about 2 at a time in the oil bath, and let sit for about two minutes on one side, one minute on the other (they might sink at first but should rise to the top eventually). Remove beignets from the oil with the slotted spoon and place on paper towels to dry. Immediately dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.
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