Indian Fry Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my Indian fry bread tough? ›

Tips for Making Delicious Native American Fry Bread

Don't over-knead—Be careful not to knead the dough too much because the bread will be hard and tough.

Made with simple ingredients, generally wheat flour, water, salt, and sometimes baking powder, frybread can be eaten alone or with various toppings such as honey, jam, powdered sugar, venison, or beef. It is the base for Indian tacos.

Too cool, and the bread absorbs the fat before it fries and makes it soggy. First rule, do NOT use really fresh bread, slightly stale is best. Second rule, get the fat you are using quite hot, not smoking hot, but hot enough to brown a little cube of bread in a few seconds.

Proponents of frying rather than toasting call out the extra flavor and crispiness that can be achieved by frying in fat rather than dry-toasting.

Try avocado oil, peanut oil, sunflower seed oil, or ghee, which makes a delightful toast that I could eat topped with leftover saag every single day. If you've only got olive oil to work with, consider doctoring the flavor slightly by adding something extra before crisping your bread.

The flour you used may have contained too much protein. Protein is one of the ingredients that help yeast bread brown. Use bread flour that is purchased at a grocery store or a national brand of all-purpose flour.

To prevent the indigenous populations from starving, the government gave them canned goods as well as white flour, processed sugar and lard—the makings of frybread.

Fry bread is bubbly and chewy—sort of like pizza dough or puffy pita bread—while funnel cake is bumpy and takes on a layered shape, like a bundle of yarn. Both funnel cake and Indian fry bread make appearances at state fairs and carnivals.

Let's talk about frybread. It can be found at almost every gathering, celebration, and Indian “doing”, but certainly at every powwow.

I don't recommend using butter to fry bread, as it has a low smoke point (so your kitchen will be very smoky). Other oils (like sunflower oil and vegetable oil) have a higher smoking point, so it is easier to use. If you really want to use butter you can, however, it will just be more difficult for you.

Is fried bread bad for you? ›

Health Problems

Fry bread can be eaten alone or as part of a meal, or can be dessert topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar or perhaps honey. Fry bread is tempting to most people because of the grease/lard/shortening ingredient and therein lies the problem. Not only is fry bread high in fat, it is also caloric.

Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds. Check and repeat if necessary.

All-Purpose Flour – The gluten in the base ingredient makes your fry bread nice and chewy. You can also throw in some cornmeal for added flavor. Baking Powder – A leavening agent gives the dough a lighter, crispier texture.

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, beaver tails, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers (in the case of smaller pieces).

According to many historians, American Indians, usually those connected with the Southwest, developed fry bread during the mid- to late-nineteenth century as the U.S. government began relocating and confining these peoples.

Tough bread is a result of over-kneading/over-mixing. This develops the gluten protein too much, which makes for chewy, tough bread. Remember to only mix the dough until the ingredients are just incorporated, and to let the dough rest for the needed amount of time.

In the oven: Preheat oven to 200° or Warm setting. Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds.

Store airtight with the two cut halves facing each other and pressed together. Wrapping bread to retain moisture keeps it soft, though it robs crusty artisan bread of its crispy crust. Wrapping in plastic (or foil) rather than cloth keeps bread soft longer.

The overworked dough will often feel tight and tough. This means that liquid molecules have been damaged and won't stretch properly, causing the bread to break and tear more easily. Conversely, a dough that is underworked will be harder to form into a ball shape.