Fried dough (Grandma's fry bread recipe)

A blue and white plate with a serving of fried bread and peach jam.

4.89 from 45 votes

Fried dough (Grandma's fry bread recipe)

My grandmother’s fried yeast bread: golden, puffed rounds with craggy tops made for a melting pat of butter and a spoonful of jam, and a must at every big family breakfast.

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword fried bread, fried bread dough, fried dough, fry bread with yeast, southern fried bread

Dietary Restrictions Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Rising Time 2

Total Time 2 30

Servings

Calories 282.93kcal

Author Lisa Lotts

Equipment

heavy pot, cast iron skillet or dutch oven for frying.
Instant Read Thermometer To take the temperature of the hot oil.

Ingredients

2 cups lukewarm water about 110°F 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
2¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (one packet)
4½-5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil or Crisco, enough to fill your cooking vessel 2-inches high for frying.

Instructions

To Make The Puff Dough

Add 2¼ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast to a large bowl and stir in 2 cups lukewarm water. Let the yeast dissolve and bloom for a few minutes.
Add 1 rounded tablespoon vegetable shortening and swish and break it apart in the water with your fingers.
Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon salt until dissolved.
Add 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour, a little at a time, mixing with your hands until the dough is well combined and elastic with a bit of a shaggy appearance. 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 - turned off).
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°F-375°F.
Pinch off a dime-sized piece of dough and stretch it, so that it's very thin (about ¼").
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.
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.
Lay the dough into the oil away from you: dip the near edge in first, then lower the rest toward the far side of the pan to prevent splashes.
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.
Transfer the fried dough to the paper towel-lined sheet pan and continue frying batches.
You can keep them in a low oven (225°F) while you're cooking in batches and serve all at once. Good luck keeping people from snatching them off the plate, though.

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. Let rise again in a draft-free place for 20-60 minutes or until puffed and doubled in size.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe yields 16-20 pieces of fried bread.

Nutrition