This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.
wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 99% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 90,604 times.
Learn more...
Fry bread is a Navajo Indian creation that is popular throughout the American southwest. This chewy, crispy fried treat can be found at powwows, diners and truck stops, and it's the base for the famous Navajo taco. The dough is handled gently and allowed to rest, then fried in hot lard and finished with sweet or savory toppings. See Step 1 and beyond for instructions on making fresh fry bread at home.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons powdered milk
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- Lard, vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
- Toppings: honey, sugar, butter, taco meat, lettuce, diced tomatoes, etc.
Steps
Making the Dough
-
1Mix the dry ingredients. Put the flour, baking powder, powdered milk, and salt in a large bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly incorporate them. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
-
2Add the warm water. Pour the warm water into the well.Advertisement
-
3Mix the dough. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate it with the flour until you have a wet, sticky dough. You can use your hands instead of a spoon if you'd like. Mix the dough gently - over mixing it will cause the finished fry bread to turn out tough.[1]
-
4Let the dough relax. When it's mixed, form it into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Lay a clean dish towel over the top of the bowl and set it in a warm, dry place so the dough can rest for 10 minutes.[2]
- The dough doesn't need to sit for longer than 10 minutes. It should be used within an hour or two and fried fresh. The fry bread won't taste as good if you let it sit overnight.
-
5Break the dough into pieces. Pull the dough apart into small pieces, and shape them into balls. Flatten the balls using the heel of your hand to make fry bread rounds about the size of tortillas.
- Do not over-handle the dough at this stage. Handle it only enough to create the shapes you need.
- If you'd like, you can flatten the entire dough ball and use a cutter or knife to cut out individual pieces of dough.
- As you work, lay the dough pieces on a plate and place a dishcloth over them to prevent them from getting dried out.
Cooking the Fry Bread
-
1Heat the fat. Place a sizable amount of lard, vegetable oil or vegetable shortening into a cast-iron skillet or frying pan. You need enough fat to rise up the side of the pan by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Melt the fat over medium-high heat. The fat should be heated to 350 °F (177 °C).[3]
-
2Test the fat. Put a small piece of dough in the pan to see if it's hot enough. The bread should sizzle and start bubbling immediately. Make sure it's hot enough before you start cooking the bread.
-
3Lay the dough pieces into the pan. Make sure none of them are overlapping, or the dough won't cook evenly.
-
4Cook each side for 2 to 4 minutes. When the first side is crispy and golden brown, use tongs to turn the bread over and finish cooking the other side.
-
5Transfer the bread to a paper towel-lined plate. The towels will absorb the extra oil as you finish cooking the bread.[4]
Serving the Fry Bread
-
1Serve immediately. Fry bread is most delicious while it's still hot. Eat the fry bread straight from the pan or top it with one of the following toppings:
- Honey and butter mixed together
- Powdered sugar
- Cinnamon
-
2Make Navajo tacos. If you're feeling ambitious, use your fry bread to create a traditional, filling treat. Fill the fry bread with some or all of the following taco ingredients:
- Ground beef cooked with taco seasoning
- Chopped lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped onions
- Pinto beans
- Sour cream
- Green chile
- Salsa
Community Q&A
-
QuestionMy fry bread comes out tough. Looks great, but what went wrong?
CaeiiaTop AnswererTough 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. -
QuestionCan I use regular milk instead of powdered milk?
Michelle.PerroneCommunity AnswerNo. Powdered milk is dry, and milk is wet. If you add milk to it, it will get soggier. -
QuestionWhy isn't my fry bread fluffy?
Community AnswerIt's supposed to be crispy, so you're doing it right. If you want fluffier fried bread, look up recipes for Canadian fried dough or beaver tails.
Things You'll Need
- Medium-sized skillet.
- 2 medium-sized bowls.
- Spoon or whisk (whisk is faster and more efficient).
References
About This Article
To make fry bread, start by mixing flour, baking powder, powdered milk, and salt in a large bowl. Then, add warm water to the mixture, and stir everything together until a sticky dough forms. Next, let the dough rest for 10 minutes before dividing it into small balls and flattening the balls into discs. Finally, dry the dough discs in oil for 2-4 minutes on each side. To learn how to serve fry bread, scroll down!
