fry bread

Fry Bread is a staple at most North American Indian feasts and gatherings. It's simply bread dough fried in hot oil and topped with jam or wojapi or toppings to make indian tacos. It's yummy and cheap and fun to make and healthy...well never mind the healthy part, but it's GOOD.

There are as many different recipes and ways to make fry bread as there are Indian aunties and grannies making the bread. Some is thick, some is thin, some is yeasty, some is soda based. But there are some things that are important no matter which basic recipe you use. The first thing is making sure the dough is wet enough. Good fry bread dough should slither off your hand if you turn your hand sideways. If it drops off quickly, it's too dry. If it sticks, it's too wet. I think it's always a good idea to mix fry bread with your hands, too, just because you have more control over it, and it's fun. The next very important thing in making killer fry bread is to knead the bread LIGHTLY. When you're ready to roll the bread out for cutting, only knead in enough flour to keep it from sticking, and don't mess too much with the dough. My final tip to great Indian fry bread is to make sure the oil is the right temperature. When the dough is dropped into the pan, it should take about 4 or 5 second for it to rise to the surface. If it takes longer, the oil isn't hot enough. You need to pause a minute or so after frying several pieces of bread to let the oil regain the right temperature.

OK..now for a fry bread recipe. Keep in mind that this is just ONE recipe. There are many many variations. This is just a start.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 package quick-rising yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspons baking powder
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups warm water
Canola or peanut oil for frying

Directions:

Combine yeast, honey, salt, powder, and flour with water in a mixing bowl, and knead until soft. Cover with a damp towel or oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Remove to floured surface and divide into 3-inch balls. Flatten each to ¼-inch-thick circles, and allow to rise for 15 minutes. Heat oil in frying pan, medium-high heat. Use tongs to fry each patty for about 1½ minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with honey or cinnamon and sugar.

Yield: about 6
Source: Paraphrased from Allrich, Cooking By Moonlight (published as "Indian fry bread")
Use for: Mabon, Samhain

Pagan recipes