History

Bugnes are Lyon's Mardi Gras specialty, on sale at every patisserie from Epiphany through Lent. The Lyonnais form is the thin crisp version (bugnes fines), not the puffy soft version of nearby Saint-Etienne. Pignol, Bernachon and Voisin all run a bugnes season; Maison Pralus carries them at Halles Paul Bocuse and on Presqu'ile, and stalls at the Marche Saint-Antoine fry them on the spot during Carnival.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 50Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g plain flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 10g baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60g melted unsalted butter
  • 80ml whole milk
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tablespoons orange-blossom water
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum (or brandy)
  • 1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying
  • 200g icing sugar, for dusting

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a wide bowl.
  2. Beat the eggs in a second bowl with melted butter, milk, lemon and orange zest, orange-blossom water and rum.
  3. Pour the wet into the dry and bring together to a smooth supple dough. Knead lightly 2 minutes.
  4. Wrap and rest in the fridge 1 hour. This is essential; the gluten must relax or the bugnes will shrink in the oil.
  5. Roll the dough on a floured surface to a 2mm-thin sheet. Use a fluted wheel to cut diamond shapes about 8cm long.
  6. Make a 4cm slit in the centre of each diamond. Pull one of the pointed ends gently through the slit and back, giving the bugne its twisted curve.
  7. Heat the oil to 170C. Fry the bugnes in batches of 6 to 8, 30 to 40 seconds a side; they should turn pale blonde, never deep gold.
  8. Lift onto a rack to drain.
  9. While still warm, shower with icing sugar through a fine sieve until liberally coated.
  10. Pile into a paper cone or a bowl lined with a clean cloth. Eat the same day.

Tip from the editors. Pale blonde is the colour; bugnes that look proper gold-brown are overcooked and bitter. Lyon's discipline is to pull them out the moment they pop to the surface and shimmer.

Where to eat bugnes lyonnaises

Bugnes lyonnaises in Lyon

Maison Pralus ★ 4.8

Bakery€Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00Walk-in onlyBean-to-bar chocolate and praluline brioche

Maison Pralus runs the bean-to-bar chocolate house Auguste Pralus founded in 1955, with a Lyon counter at Halles Paul Bocuse for the praluline brioche.

Tip: The praluline (pink-praline brioche) is the dish; a whole loaf travels home.

Worth the queue: Praluline brioche with pink pralines

Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse, 102 Cours Lafayette, 69003 Lyon

Bernachon ★ 4.8

Bakery€Tue-Sat 09:00-19:00, closed Sunday-MondayBean-to-bar chocolate and pastries

Bernachon in Lyon's 6e is the bean-to-bar chocolatier founded by Maurice Bernachon in 1953, with a Rue Franklin Roosevelt salon de the and a full pastry.

Tip: The President cake is the order; a slice with espresso at the salon is the form.

Worth the queue: President cake, chocolate, hazelnut praline

42 Cours Franklin Roosevelt, 69006 Lyon

Pignol ★ 4.4

Bakery€Tue-Sun 07:00-19:30, closed MondayWalk-in onlyLyonnais bakery and pastry

Pignol is the multi-generation Lyonnais bakery and patisserie with a Place Bellecour counter for the pink-praline tart, sandwiches and chocolate eclairs.

Tip: The tarte aux pralines (pink praline) is the order; sold by the slice from 11:00.

Worth the queue: Tarte aux pralines

8 Place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon

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