Beignets

Why this recipe works: To replicate the airy, crisp texture and tangy yeast flavor of these classic New Orleans doughnuts, we began by using plenty of yeast and prodding it with warm water and sugar to start developing flavor right off the bat. A super-hydrated dough means lots of steam, which creates an open, honeycombed structure as soon as the beignets hit the hot oil. Since wet dough is tricky to roll out, we let it rise in the refrigerator to firm it up. After a few minutes of frying and a shower of powdered sugar, our beignets were ready to be enjoyed, Big Easy–style.