Makes about a dozen beignets
I have to admit that I’ve never eaten a proper beignet. My first and only experience of these glorious fried square doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar was while sitting at a café in New Orleans Square in Disneyland when I was a kid. They may not have been authentic, but oh I craved them after the first time I tried them. Our daughter became obsessed with the idea of beignets after seeing a Disney princess movie set in New Orleans, which made her pretend to make them for us for months. Neither one of us can eat gluten, so neither one of us will ever be able to eat a traditional beignet at Café du Monde in New Orleans, but these are mighty fine.
Proof the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let the mixture sit until the top is foamy, about 15 minutes.
Finish the dough. Add 300 grams of the flour blend, the milk, sugar, egg, and psyllium husks to the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough is smooth, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the lard in little bits, then the remaining 300 grams of the flour blend. Mix until the dough is well combined and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Form the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Shape the dough. The next day, pull the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before working with it. Grab an egg-size piece of dough, put it between two pieces of lightly greased parchment paper, and roll it out into a 3-inch square.
Heat the oil. Set a large wok over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil. Heat the oil to 365°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Fry the beignets. When the oil has come to heat, add the square of dough to the oil. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes, then flip the beignet and fry the other side for another 2 minutes. Transfer the beignet to a paper towel–lined plate and immediately dust with an enormous shower of powdered sugar.
While the first beignet is frying on the first side, roll out the next square of dough. Continue with this process until you have made all the beignets. Serve immediately.