Fried dough (Grandma’s fry bread recipe)

Southern fry bread with jam on a blue and white plate.

This fried dough recipe comes from my grandmother, and it makes fried yeast bread that is crispy on the outside with a soft, yeasty interior. They were known in our house as “puffs,” We would have them for breakfast with butter and jelly. Made with yeast, the dough for this fry bread needs to rest overnight, then make the deep-fried dough the next morning.

The best part of every visit to my grandparent’s house as a kid was Sunday morning, enjoying this fried dough. My grandmother, Myne, would make up the yeast dough the night before, so it would be ready to fry for breakfast after church.

I still remember her cast iron pan bubbling with oil as she’d pull the edges of the dough to make a flat disc and deftly release it into the hot grease. She would fry the bread dough for a few minutes on one side before flipping it to brown on the other.

Myne worked in an assembly line fashion, piling the deep-fried dough onto a rimmed sheet pan lined with paper towels to soak up excess grease and tucking them into a warm oven until we were ready to eat.

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My Dad and Uncle Buck always snuck in to nab some before the rest of us.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • The make-ahead recipe takes about 10 minutes to assemble the night before.
  • No kneading or rolling is necessary. Just mix the dough and let it rise.
  • It’s inexpensive to make and feeds a crowd.
  • This fluffy fried bread recipe will make you famous with friends and family.
  • Kids love this homemade fried dough with butter and sweet jam or preserves.
  • You can use leftover yeast dough to make dinner rolls (that’s what Myne would do).

Ingredients for fried dough recipe:

  • Instant Yeast
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Lukewarm Water
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Salt
  • Shortening (Myne recommends Crisco)

Making foolproof dough

My grandmother punk’d us before that was a thing.

Without fail, each time she made up the fried bread recipe with yeast, and it had rested overnight — my grandmother would remove the towel from the bowl of dough and, with an alarmed look, pronounce that “the puffs didn’t rise.”

Panicked at the prospect of no puffs for breakfast, we would rush to the kitchen — only to find that Myne was making it up – the dough had risen.

Her prank was repeatedly (and flawlessly) executed every time she made a batch.

How to make fried bread dough

  1. In a large bowl, combine lukewarm water and yeast and swish until the yeast is dissolved. (Note: my grandmother and my mother, who made this batch used their hands to swish the water and yeast together — instead of a spoon — old school style.)
  2. Add the shortening and break it apart with your fingers.
  3. Stir in the sugar and salt, swishing and stirring until dissolved.
  4. Add the flour a little bit at a time, stirring and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Steps for adding flour and mixing the dough.
Add flour to the water a little at a time until you form a dough.

Yeast dough has to rise

Once the yeast dough is combined, form it into a ball, then place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a clean towel to rise for at least two hours or overnight.

Then lock yourself in the bathroom and practice your “the puffs didn’t rise” line while trying to look sufficiently innocent in the bathroom mirror.

How to make fried dough

  1. Fill a heavy cast iron skillet with deep sides or a dutch oven with about 2″ of vegetable oil or Crisco to fry the dough. (I know it’s not the healthiest ingredient, but it’s fried bread. You didn’t think it would be good for you. I make no apologies –  Crisco was big back in the day, and in this recipe, it produces crisp, light puffs).
  2. Heat over medium-high heat until the temperature is about 350°-375°. (Use an Instant Read thermometer {affiliate link} to check).
  3. Make a “tester” with a small pinch of yeast dough.  Stretch it out and gently place it in the hot oil.  You’ll know that the grease is hot enough if it bubbles furiously from the beginning. If the bubbles are smaller and more “genteel,” the oil must heat more.
  4. Pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough, flatten it and pull the sides until the dough is about ¼ to  ?” thick and 3″ in diameter (Note: it will never be a perfect circle, so don’t even try).
  5. Gently place the dough in the hot oil – releasing it away from you to avoid splatters and burns.
  6. Cook for a few minutes until the underside is golden and brown.
  7. Use tongs or a long-handled fork to gently turn the pan-fried bread and cook it for an additional minute or so until crispy and golden.
  8. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
  9. Keep warm in a hot oven while you make the rest — or serve them as soon as they come out of the fryer (the best way).
stretching the dough into rounds and placing in hot oil for pan fried bread.
Pull the yeast dough into a round and transfer it to the hot grease to fry. Flip them after a minute or two.

Pro-tips:

The fried dough cooks in just a few minutes, so don’t step away from the fryer. You don’t want to risk scorching them.

I strongly advise keeping small, curious children out of the kitchen while you’re frying. Hot oil can splatter, and we don’t want anyone getting burned.

A platter of fried puffs on a plate lined with paper towels.
You don’t know how much will-power it took for me to take a picture and NOT GRAB ONE OFF THE PLATE.

What is fried dough called?

“Puffs” are our moniker for this fried yeast bread recipe.

Though it might sound unfamiliar to you, I’m sure you’ve seen something similar to my grandma’s fry bread because deep-fried bread dough is popular worldwide.

You’ll find variations of this recipe under other names like:

  • Indian fry bread, Navajo fry bread or Navajo bread – the difference is this is usually made with baking powder instead of yeast)
  • Fried Bannocks – A Scottish dish (my grandmother is a Scot, so maybe that’s where her recipe evolved from).
  • Italian fried dough – is a dessert that’s more puffed and softer like a doughnut also known as zeppole or pizza fritta.
  • Fried pizza dough – a street food served with chimichurri sauce, sour cream and cheese.
  • Fried elephant ears – are found at many fairs and carnivals, they’re sold at numerous vendors brushed liberally with butter and coated in cinnamon sugar.
  • Puff Puff – African doughnuts seasoned with nutmeg (I’ve had them and they’re excellent).
  • Vetkoek – also African, this is a savory stuffed “fat cake”.
  • Beignet – a French version of deep-fried dough buried under an avalanche of powdered sugar. Beignets from Cafe Du Monde are a must when you visit New Orleans.

FAQ’s

Does every culture have fried dough?

Yes. Nearly every culture does. They vary by ingredients, toppings, how they’re served and for what occasion.

Is fry bread the same as fried dough?

Sort of. Fry bread is usually made with baking powder instead of yeast.

Why is frybread unhealthy?

It’s fried, usually in shortening or lard.

Can I freeze leftovers?

I’ve never had fried bread leftovers, but you could freeze them. Another suggestion, however, is if you don’t fry all of the bread dough, you can use the rest to make dinner rolls. Instructions are given in the “notes” section of the recipe card.

Grandma's fry bread with butter and peach jam.

How does my grandma’s fry bread recipe taste?

In a word… divine. It is crackly outside with a puffed, hot, yeasty dough inside.  

On their own, her fried bread is savory, not sweet. So we treat them like toast or biscuits and liberally smear them with butter and jam.

Others may prefer powdered sugar or maple syrup, but my grandmother wouldn’t approve of those substitutions, so if you do it, keep it to yourself.

Myne eating a puff.
This is my grandmother, Myne, devouring a puff.

What goes with yeast fry bread:

More breakfast breads you might like: 

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Southern fry bread with jam on a blue and white plate.
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4.91 from 43 votes

Fried dough (Grandma’s fry bread recipe)

Fried dough is a family favorite for weekend breakfasts, and this fry bread is great with a melty pat of butter and your favorite strawberry jam. Any leftover dough can be formed into rolls for an evening meal.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword bread dough, fry bread, puffs
Dietary Restrictions Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups lukewarm water about 110° on an instant read thermometer
  • 1 rounded tablespoon vegetable shortening (Myne uses Crisco) about the size of an egg
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 package Instant Yeast
  • 4 ½ – 5 cups all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

To Make The Puff Dough

  • Add the yeast to a large bowl and stir in the water.  Let the yeast dissolve and bloom for a few minutes. 
  • Add the shortening and swish and break it apart in the water with your fingers.
  • Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved.
  • Add flour a little at a time, kneading with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball.
  • Lightly grease or oil a large bowl with vegetable shortening and place the dough in the bowl.  Flip the dough once or twice so it gets a light coating of grease (this prevents it from forming a “skin”. Cover the dough with a clean dish towel and place in a draft free area to rise. (I usually stick it in a cold oven).
  • Let the dough rise for 2 hours or overnight.

MAKE A TESTER:

  • Place a wide, deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat and add about 2 inches of vegetable oil or Crisco. Heat the oil to about 350°-375°. 
  • Carefully place the dough into the hot grease. This is your tester– and it will determine if your oil is hot enough. If the oil rapidly bubbles around the dough it should be the right temperature.
  • Pinch off a dime-sized piece of dough and stretch it, so that it’s very thin (about 1/4″).  
  • Cook the tester for about 1-2 minutes until golden on the bottom, then flip it and cook an additional minute.  The bread should be crisp and golden.  You can eat this piece to determine if the oil should be hotter or if it’s just right.

FRY THE YEAST DOUGH:

  • Line a sheet pan with several layers of paper towels and set near the pan of oil. Pinch off a golf ball sized piece of dough and flatten it to a disc in your hands. Hold the edges of the dough and work it in a circle to stretch and enlarge the circle until it’s about 3″ to 4″ in diameter.
  • Carefully place the puffs into the oil (away from you to prevent splashes and burns).
  • Fry for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, flip over and continue to cook for another minute or so until the puffs are crispy and golden. 
  • Depending on the size of your pan, you can make 3-4 at a time.
  • You can also keep them in a warm oven and serve all at once, but they’re really best served immediately.
  • Transfer the fried dough to the paper towel-lined sheet pan, continue to fry in batches, and keep the fry bread warm in a low oven until you’re ready to serve — or if you’re like my family… keep making them as they’re being snatched off the tray.

NOTES:

If you have leftover yeast dough, you can make dinner rolls. Lightly grease a pie plate with shortening. Roll the dough into balls and cover with a dish towel. Set in a draft free place to rise again.
Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 25-30 minutes.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 8g | Sodium: 877mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 3.6mg

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Fried bread dough is a homey comfort food we like for breakfast. This overnight fried dough recipe is my grandmother's & it's the best!

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56 Comments

  1. Jennifer Barbosa says:

    4 stars
    Please correct the amount of salt in your recipe. I believe it should say 1 teaspoon, not tablespoon – WAY too salty! Otherwise would’ve been good and it’s easy to make. Unfortunately had to throw the whole batch of dough away due to excessive salt.

  2. Lavina Larsen says:

    5 stars
    Mom used to make these on sundays. But she served them with homemade chocolate gravy and lots of butter.(:

  3. Wilma D Baxter says:

    5 stars
    You make the fried dough like my mother did, so good! I use Rhodes rolls, not as good, but easier! My problem is that they’re raw in the middle! I stretch each one so thin, you can see through them.. I would say that the oil is too .. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories!

  4. This made me smile all the way through reading it ❤️ we waited to go to grandmas for these and had them with fresh maple syrup on top , thank you for printing this!

  5. Orrinette Gebbeken says:

    5 stars
    Yep, this is the right way to make Indian fry bread!

  6. 5 stars
    So excited to find this recipe! My Mom made something very similiar and they taste amazing. A true classic.

  7. Hi Lisa!
    Can you tell me given a golf ball size puff, approximately how many puffs I can get with this recip?
    Thank You!

  8. 5 stars
    Lisa, thanks for the memories and recipe.
    I am starting a batch tonight. My father now 89 used to make these for us back in the 60s when we were kids. It was always a big treat. He would make the dough by hand on a Saturday and let it rise until Sunday morning. It was always a family event. He always rolled the dough out in the morning before church. He would cut it in pieces the size of a deck of cards and then let it rise again for frying in an electric skillet when church was over. I remember a big tray keeping warm in the oven while he fried them all. A heaping plate of light airy almost hollow “Puffs” would be delivered to the table. We would poke a hole between layers and put various jelly’s and jams inside. So goood!
    This was an old family recipe. Like several others he grew up on Park St in Alexandria next to the Masonic Temple

  9. Fran Huizenga says:

    5 stars
    Just came across this post. I can’t wait to try it. It looks like something my mother used to make. It was from my father’s ethnic background from Yugoslavia. My sister and I have tried in vain to find a recipe and also the correct spelling of the fried dough. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Thanks!

  10. 5 stars
    My Grandma Mac made these too for every holiday brunch. House always smelled amazing and she would fry these up in batches and send them out and they would get gobbled up SO fast. Thank you for the recipe! We are also from the MD/DC area – grew up in Oxon Hill.

  11. Judy Shanholtz says:

    I might make these for supper tonight. I made some fried bread and rolls last week. I made the mistake of letting them rise twice before frying. I just wasn’t thinking and you know you have to let rolls rise twice. I was thinking I wanted them done at approximately the same time. They were still edible. I can’t wait to try your recipe!

  12. Down here in the South of Africa we call them Vetkoek (fat cake), the African people call them Amagwenya, everyone of all nationalities just love them.
    But, but we put all savouries, like mince and potato curry, inside them and not on top.
    They are eaten plain as well and are more rounder and larger to accommodate curries of all types.
    Sizes vary from tennis ball to twice that.
    It seems most cultures throughout the world make them with some variations.

    1. That’s fascinating! I’d love to make them stuffed with potato curry — it sounds like an Indian samosa. YUM!

  13. 5 stars
    Grew up on these on Sunday mornings with bacon and eggs, great with yolk dipping. Even made them on the cast iron grill in back yard in the summer yummy. Going to have breakfast for dinner tonight. Thank you, and we called them fried dough.

    1. Hi Cathy! I’ve heard from so many people about this recipe — and everyone has a different “name” for it. I love how regional this dish is!

  14. 5 stars
    I HAD BEEN WANTING TO MAKE SOME FRY BREAD FOR AWHILE NOW, THEN I CAME ACROSS YOUR GRANDMA’S RECIPE, ( OPEN THE FRONT DOOR ), I MADE IT LAST NIGHT FOR MY HUSBAND, HE WENT WILD, HE IS 83 YRS. YOUNG. COVERED THEM WITH BUTTER AND STRAWBERRY JAM. THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING. WILL TELL MY NEIGHBOR ABOUT THE RECIPE.

    1. I’m so glad you and your young husband enjoyed it! This will always be a family favorite in our house!

  15. Hi, I’m Italian, we make fry bread very similar to your fry bread at Chrismas time, we call them Zeppoli

    1. I’ve heard of zeppoli, but haven’t tried them. For some reason I thought it was a sweet dough like a doughnut. These are savory — until you put the jelly on them! LOL!

  16. Wonderful – this is our family recipe as well and we call it Puffs as well – goes back a few generations (Hoover/Bromley/Carress from Washington, DC). Any relation?

    1. We are the Hudsons and McNabs from the DC/Virginia area.

    2. Kristi Stanfield says:

      5 stars
      We have very similar recipe for Christmas Puffs. Ours are shaped in rectangle with slit in the middle. (Think light switch cover) I believe our recipe has an egg in it. Recipe handed down from my great grandmother from Alexandria area. Butler/Clark/Smoot

  17. Krista Johnson says:

    I am so happy to see this recipe! My family has a nearly identical recipe passed down through generations however we use butter and salt. I will try the jam! Thank you!

    1. That’s so cool — what did your family call them?

  18. 5 stars
    You are so so lucky to still have your grandmother! This was lovely to read. She sounds like a real prankster 😉 My kind of grandma! These puffs are off the chain. So crisp yet fluffy and anything more than a bit of butter and jam would do them an injustice! Some things are so great, they’re best enjoyed in their simplest forms. Thanks for sharing these memories!

  19. Trish Bozeman says:

    I’ve actually never had fry bread, but you sure are making me want to try it! Recipes passed down through generations are so special and I treasure them so much. Um… that guava jam sure sounds amazing too. 🙂

    1. The fry bread is awesome and to be fair — that guava jam is amazing too. Recipe available on this site.

  20. 5 stars
    There is a reason I love Southern cooking so much…because it’s always delicious! It’s the epitome of comfort food! I happen to be crazy about fry bread and I am in love with this recipe. Thanks for sharing another winner, Lisa! 🙂