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 the Presqu'ile shop, and stalls at the Marche Saint-Antoine fry them on the spot during Carnival.

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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

Pralus Presqu'ile ★ 4.7

€ BakeryPraluline brioche flagshipWalk-in only

Pralus Presqu'ile on Rue de Brest in the 2e is the praluline-brioche counter for the Lyon peninsula, with whole loaves of pink-praline brioche from Roanne.

Worth the queuePraluline brioche, plain and chocolate

TipA whole praluline loaf travels for a day; ask for the freshly-bagged hot one.

Directions

Bernachon ★ 4.8

€ BakeryBean-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.

Worth the queuePresident cake, chocolate, hazelnut praline

TipThe President cake is the order; a slice with espresso at the salon is the form.

Directions

Pignol ★ 4.4

€ BakeryLyonnais bakery and pastryWalk-in only

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

Worth the queueTarte aux pralines

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

Directions

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