Bugnes Lyonnaises

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Bugnes are Lyon’s traditional Carnival fritters—light, twisted ribbons of enriched dough scented with lemon zest and rum, deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar, prepared in enormous quantities during the weeks before Mardi Gras. The Lyonnais bugne tradition distinguishes between two styles: bugnes moelleuses (soft bugnes), which are thick, pillowy, yeasted fritters similar to doughnuts, and bugnes croustillantes (crisp bugnes), which are paper-thin, shattering ribbons rolled as thin as Provençal oreillettes. Lyon favours the crisp version, which demands the same extreme thinness as its southern cousin. The dough combines 500g flour, 4 eggs, 100g softened butter, 80g sugar, 2 tablespoons of rum, the grated zest of two lemons, and a pinch of salt—no yeast or baking powder for the crisp version. The mixed dough is rested for 2 hours (essential for gluten relaxation), then rolled to near-transparency (1mm or less). The sheets are cut into rectangles approximately 15x6cm, a central slit is cut lengthwise, and one end is pulled through the slit to create the characteristic twisted shape. They are fried in clean oil at 170°C for 30-40 seconds per side until golden and puffed with enormous blisters, drained on paper, and dusted generously with icing sugar while still hot. The bugnes should be eaten within hours of frying, when their crispness is absolute. In Lyonnais tradition, the season for bugnes runs from late January through Mardi Gras, and every boulangerie and pâtisserie in the city displays towering pyramids of these golden ribbons during Carnival season.

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