Mardi Gras: Authentic Lyon Bugnes Recipe

Mardi Gras is approaching and you suddenly want to smell the smell of hot donuts that perfume the whole house. THE bugnes lyonnaises have this power. A soft dough, a golden crust, a cloud of icing sugar… and in a few moments, you are in Lyon, in front of a pastry window. What if, this year, you prepared them yourself, quietly at home?

Bugnes Lyonnaises: a donut, a thousand memories

THE bugnes are one of those desserts that bring everyone together. Children love to catch them while still warm, adults are transported back to childhood at the first bite.

In Lyon, these donuts are traditionally prepared for Mardi Grasbut also throughout the winter. Their particularity? A yeast doughsupple and airy, cut into diamonds with a small notch in the center. Simple, but terribly effective.

The real ingredients of homemade Lyonnaise bugnes

To make successful bugnes like at the baker’s, everything depends on the dough. Here is a base for about 6 to 8 people (depending on the size of the donuts and everyone’s appetite).

Ingredients for approximately 35 to 40 bugnes :

• 500 g the wheat flour (type T45 or T55)
• 100 g the Powdered sugar
• 150 g the soft buttermou
• 4 eggs medium sized
• 1 packet of baking powder (environ 11 g)
• 1 pinch of fine salt
• The fine zest 1 untreated lemon or orange
• 2 tablespoons of orange blossom or from rum (to adapt according to your taste)*
• Frying oil (sunflower or peanut, approximately 1.5 to 2 liters depending on the size of your pan)
• Icing sugar to sprinkle generously

*Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health, consume in moderation.

Step by step: the authentic recipe for Bugnes Lyonnaises

The recipe is not complicated. Above all, it requires a little time to let the dough rise and develop its aromas. The ideal is to prepare it in a warm kitchen, away from drafts.

1. Prepare the bugnes dough

• In a large salad bowl, pour the 500 g of flour, the 100 g of sugar, the sachet of yeast and the pinch of salt. Mix quickly with a spoon.
• Add the 150 g of soft butter in small pieces. Rub between your fingers to achieve a sandy texture, without large chunks of butter.
• Incorporate the 4 eggs, one by one. Mix well after each addition to make a dough that begins to come together.
• Then add the finely grated zest and the orange blossom or rum. Work the dough until it becomes homogeneous and smooth.

2. Leave to rise for a soft texture

• Form a ball with the dough. If it’s a little sticky, lightly flour your hands, but avoid adding too much flour.
• Place the ball in a clean salad bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. The dough should approximately double in volume.
• This rest time is essential. It is he who gives the bugnes that light and swollen side that we are looking for.

3. Shape the Lyon bugnes

• Lightly flour your work surface. Place the dough and degas it by pressing gently with your hands.
• Roll it out to a thickness of 0.5 to 1 cm. The thinner it is, the crispier the bugnes will be. The thicker it is, the softer they will be.
• With a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, cut out diamonds or rectangles about 8 to 10 cm long.
• In the center of each diamond, make a small cut of 2 to 3 cm. Traditionally, you can pass one side of the dough through this slit for a nice twisted effect, but this is not obligatory.

4. Succeed in frying without stress

• Pour the oil into a deep pan or deep fryer. Heat to approximately 170–180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, a small scrap of dough should rise to the surface in a few seconds.
• Dip a few bugnes at a time into the oil. Don’t overload, otherwise the temperature drops and they absorb more fat.
• Leave to brown for 2 to 4 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. They should be well inflated and a nice even golden color.
• Drain them on absorbent paper as soon as the oil comes out.
• When they are still slightly warm, sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

How many bugnes per person to plan for?

Faced with a dish of bugnes, it is difficult to stop. However, these are fried donuts and sweet. It is better to anticipate the portions to avoid excesses.

• For a adult : generally count 3 to 4 bugnes.
• For a enfant : 1 to 2 bugnes are often enough, especially as a snack.

Serve them, for example, with a hot, unsweetened drink: tea, herbal tea, coffee or plain hot milk. This helps to calm hunger and savor each bugne more slowly, without exceeding the dose that makes your head spin or your stomach ache.

Tips for even more delicious bugnes

Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can add your own personal touch to it, without betraying the spirit of the Lyon bugnes.

• Vary the flavors: replace the orange blossom with orange zest, a little vanilla or a mixture of the two.
• Play with shapes: smaller for a buffet, larger for a plated dessert.
• Enjoy them fresh: the bugnes are much better the same day, still warm or at room temperature.
• Store them in a metal box once cooled to prevent them from softening too quickly.

Mardi Gras, a great excuse to make things at home

Prepare homemade Lyonnaise bugnesit’s not just following a recipe. It’s also about creating a little ritual to share with those you love. The dough that we knead together, the shapes that we cut with several hands, the laughter around the simmering pan.

This year, instead of buying your donuts ready-made, why not take an hour or two to make them yourself? You will see: the perfume that invades the house, the icing sugar that flies, the fingers that reach for the dish… it all has a taste of real Mardi Gras, a little warmer, a little more unforgettable.