How to: Make Tasty Navajo Fry Bread
American Indian fry bread has several regional, familial and tribal variations, similar to India's curries. Like other fry breads, Navajo fry bread contains only the necessary ingredients required to make a simple dough: flour, water, salt and baking powder. Although fry bread doesn't raise when cooked, it has a soft, puffed form that results from air pockets that are created when heated. Navajo fry bread is traditionally topped with savory ingredients from the American Southwest or complemented with honey or sugar and served as dessert. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup tepid water
- 2 cups canola oil
- 10-inch cast-iron skillet
- Candy thermometer
Instructions
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1
Mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup tepid water to the mixing bowl and combine until the dough comes together in a ball.
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2
Dust the work surface with flour and turn the dough out on it. Gently knead the dough for three minutes, form into a ball and place in a bowl. Coat the dough with a thin layer of canola oil and place in the refrigerator for one hour.
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3
Fill a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 inch of canola oil (approximately 2 cups), and place over medium-high heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the skillet and allow it to reach 350 degrees F.
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4
Divide the dough into four equal portions and roll into a ball. Flatten each portion into a round disk, similar to formed pizza dough.
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5
Fry each piece of fry bread until golden-brown on both sides, approximately three minutes total. Turn the bread halfway through the cooking process. Drain on paper towels, season to taste with kosher salt and serve hot.
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