Flat pieces of dough deep-fried to fluffiness perfection…
Fry Bread is such a special treat! Right when it comes out of the hot skillet, you can literally put anything on it. When I was growing up, melted oozing butter with sprinkled cinnamon and sugar was always my favorite.
In fact, I’ve been making this Fry Bread all through the last 20 plus(!) years for my boys. (Yep, that’s a long time of making fry bread!)
It’s so easy and not to mention delicious! There is only one time for rising the dough. And, then you’re ready to fry it in a skillet. Bam! It’s ready to eat!
Put the sugar, salt, and yeast in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the milk by putting in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add some butter flavored shortening. Stir until the shortening has melted all of the way. Allow the milk mixture to cool a little. You want it to be cooled a bit to the touch, but still warm.
Once the shortening has melted and the milk has cooled (to the touch); add to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the sugar, salt, and yeast. Add in the beaten egg.
Note: I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook to make this. Low speed. You could easily use a large wooden spoon to mix it all together and then knead on a floured surface when it gets too hard to stir. That’s how I did it before the Kitchen Aid era.
Stir in 1 and 1/2 cups of bread flour. You may use all-purpose flour. But the texture will be a little different. I prefer to use bread flour instead in this recipe.
You are going to use a total of 4 to 4 and 1/2 cups of flour total. Do not add it all at once. It also depends on the climate you live in. I know, that may sound strange. But, I live in a very dry state– sometimes hardly any humidity. But, when I make this on a rainy day– I use a little more flour.
While it is still mixing (on low), add one more cup. You are at 2 and 1/2 cups at this point.
Notice how it is still kind of sticky? (above) Slowly shake in another cup of flour to the dough. Now you have used 3 and 1/2 cups of flour at this point.
Shake in another half of cup of flour (or more). You may or may or not need the last half a cup of flour that you have left. But you want the dough to be able to pull away from the bowl. (as shown above.) This is when you are done adding flour.
It is ready to form a ball and put into a large greased bowl. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap. Put into a warm spot to rise. You want it to at least double in size.
Tip: I always like to set my dough inside of the microwave– a draft-free area.. I put a small bowl of boiling water in the microwave along with the dough. It will be done rising in about 30 minutes. Doing it this way cuts your time in half!
In a large skillet, begin heating your oil on medium heat.
Tear off a piece of dough and cover the bowl back up. Stretch the piece of dough out a little at a time. But not too thin… and not too thick.
Carefully lay the piece of dough into the heated oil. Don’t walk away… only cook it for about 1 minute on the first side. With your tongs, move it around just a little bit. You’ll start to notice the dough puff up. It’s okay if you get an air bubble in parts of the fry bread.
Carefully turn over with your tongs. Cook for about another minute. This side tends to cook a little faster. So remember, do not get distracted and walk away from the pan. You know I always tell you these things from experience.
Have a large plate (I use a baking dish) to set the paper towels in for the fry bread to drain all the excess oil off.
Serve immediately, or put in the oven on warm until you’re ready to serve them.
Funny thing is, we didn’t always call it Fry Bread. In fact, here in Utah (and Idaho) it is also called “scones”. That’s what we called it growing up. So, as to not confuse my own children when I’d make the “real” sweet scones (which are also called “biscuits” here), we started calling this Fry Bread… like the rest of the country. Sounds a little crazy, I know.
Enjoy a big piece of Fry Bread either on the sweet or savory side. You pick! (My kids love these with taco meat with all the fixings.)
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1⅔ cup milk (I used whole milk.), scalded. Then cooled to the touch.
- 1½ tablespoons butter flavored shortening
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 to 4½ cups bread flour (you may use all-purpose flour, but the measuring and texture will be slightly different.)
- 1½ cups of vegetable oil (or oil of your choice.)
- Combine sugar, salt, and yeast.
- Scald milk and shortening.
- Put milk mixture into a large mixing bowl when cooled until warm to the touch.
- Add the sugar, salt, and yeast to the milk and melted shortening.
- Add the beaten egg and 1 and a half cup of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon or with the hook attachment. (I used my Kitchen Aid.)
- While it is still mixing (on low), add one more cup of flour. (You are at 2 and ½ cups of flour at this point.)
- Continue to slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough is not sticking to the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- It is ready to form a ball and put into a large greased bowl. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap. Put into a warm spot with no cold drafts to rise to double in size.
- When the dough has doubled in size, begin heating your oil on medium heat in a large skillet.
- Carefully lay a piece of dough into the heated oil. (You may do more than one at the same time. But do not over crowd the oil.)
- Cook for about 1 minute on the first side and 30-45 seconds on the second side. (It also depends on the temperature of your oil with the time you have on each side.)
- Have a large plate (I use a baking dish) to set the paper towels in for the fry bread to drain all the excess oil off.
- Serve immediately, or put in the oven on warm.
- Enjoy!
Try making these with this Homemade Fry Bread:
I love the microwave tip!
Beautiful posting BTW!! I’m sitting next to cinnamon crumb cookies right now while reading and drooling over your post; smelling the cinnamon and looking at this fry bread is making me crave an elephant ear!! This bread looks so easy and delicious!
tahnycooks recently posted…Peach Crumb Cake Cookies
Thanks, Tahny! It’s really simple to make. And it rises fast…in the microwave! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far!
I love the smell of fried bread at the ball park. This looks so tasty. I need a reason to make this… Maybe I’ll host a football party 🙂
Reba- Not So Perfect Life recently posted…Strawberry Almond Biscuits- Vegan
Reba, that is so like me, too! Having some food that inspires me to host a party… I love it! Just the other day when I made some homemade refried beans, I was talking all day to my husband how we should throw a Mexican food party with all the family…just because the beans rocked!
break me off a piece!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting recently posted…Pumpkin Pie Lasagna
YUM! I would go for sweet, but it’s great either way. I like the photo of the risen dough. It clearly shows how perfect the dough is.
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg recently posted…Shakshuka
Thank you, Norma! I get all excited when I see rising dough! (I guess I’m simple like that…hehe!)
I”m craving this bread like something fierce! I’m seriously afraid to work with yeast so my husband is the bread maker in house. I could see this fry bread as a savory or sweet…some powdered sugar perhaps! Any reason for me to use that precious powdered sugar. Hehe. Happy Fri Gloria!
Tina @ Tina’s Chic Corner recently posted…Sweet and Sour Chicken
Tina, you are hilarious with the powdered sugar! My teen is the same way…but he thought one time the bowl that was sitting out for a recipe was powdered sugar and it was flour!
I used to be very afraid of yeast…but you’ve gotta try it! Then you won’t stop making things with yeast. Now, I make at least something with yeast 2-3 times a week! Have a great weekend! (=
Oh my goodness, that fry bread looks insanely good! I love how beautifully browned this is. So yummy! I can see why your boys love it! Anything fried is fabulous in my book. 😉 Pinning! Have a great weekend Gloria!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker recently posted…Savory Ham Cheese and Olive Cake
You are so kind, Anne! Hope you’re having a lazy weekend! xo
How on earth are you so tiny? That bread looks absolutely amazing Gloria! I LOVE the tip about the microwave, I am totally doing that next time!
Lisa@ Cooking with Curls recently posted…Best of the Weekend {20}
Thanks, Lisa! You’ll love how fast the microwave method is next time you want to raise some dough. The only thing I use the microwave for is sometimes boiling water AND using it as an incubator for my dough. (I don’t have time and especially patience for dough to rise by the fireplace or on the counter.) Have a great upcoming weekend!
This reminds me of my grandmother taking leftover pizza dough and frying it and sprinkling with confectioners sugar. In fact back east they call them Pizza Frittes! YUM – Pinned!
Deb@CookingOnTheFrontBurner recently posted…Lemon Caprese Salad
Wow, that sounds amazing, Deb! I’m a huge fan of powdered sugar. And, so is my teenager…until he ate a whole mouthful of FLOUR I had out in a bowl! (=
I grew up with these too. My mom called them dough gods. The history is that back in the day before quick yeasts, the farmer’s wife would leave the dogh to rise overnight. They didn’t have time to bake the loaf before the farmers went to the fields so the wives would nip off a couple balls from the dough and fry it for a pre-breakfast meal. then when they came in for their breakfast after checking over the farm the rest of the dough would be baked into a loaf.
I love it, Kim! Thank you for sharing this…never heard of it before. (=
Hmm I’ve never had yeast based frybread before…I just stick to flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt myself but this has me craving Indian tacos now. Have you tried using it as a pizza crust or making your own lil food pockets? Also very good for “rezdogs”
Made this today and it was easy and AMAZING!! My family loved it!! This is my go to recipe from now on!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Thank you for stopping by to leave such sweet words, Jeanine! I am so happy you and your family love this recipe. You’ve made my whole day! 🙂
Gloria recently posted…Fried Dulce de Leche Cookie Dough
hi gloria
thank you for sharing this recipe. you know I have bunch/kilos of bread flour and didnt know what to do with them because I used to use all purpose in baking cakes and pastries… you saved my bread flour to use them before it will expired.
another thing …and you know I get addicted to visit your site as I am too excited for your new post daily 🙂
I got more ideas from you more techniques. You are so wonderful. thanks and more power to you!
God bless.
Beb
Thank you so very much, Beberly! You have just made my whole day. 🙂
Gloria recently posted…Applesauce Monster Cookies
I made this recipe tonight for dinner. Can we just say–YUMGASM?!?!! omg so delish!! I seriously ate too much and so did our guests!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe and your method!!
I am so happy you loved this recipe, Stephanie! It is truly a favorite over here in my home. In fact, I just fried some up last night for tacos. Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know what you thought. It really means a lot! 🙂
Can’t wait to try the fry bread. I live in Alaska and the natives make wonderful fry bread. Would butter work for the shortening?
Ruby, yes. I have had to use butter before for my recipe. It turns out just as delicious! Have fun making these! 🙂
Love this! What could I use instead of milk?
Cassi, you could substitute the milk for water. Have great weekend coming up! 😉
I have been searching for this recipe for a LONG time! My mother in law makes them but doesn’t like to share her special recipes LOL… Haven’t tried this yet, but it looks like the real thing, thank you very much for sharing it. Can’t wait to start making some !
Can you use real butter instead of the butter flavored shortening?
Yes, you can use real butter in place of the shortening. If done it both ways and it turns out great. Thank you for stopping by!
Awesome, thanks!
Because there is only myself to cook for now, I’ve used frozen yeast rolls to make just one or two fry breads at a time (after they thaw, of course). I’d like to make it from scratch, but for now, this will do. Love fry bread tacos!!
You could split the recipe in half to give you less scones (as we call them here in Utah). I’ve had to do that, now that my two older boys have left the nest and there’s less to cook for. 🙂
I have been eating “Fried Bread Dough” my entire life. My grandma who was born in 1906 always made this for us. An easier way to make it, and it is just as good…..use frozen bread rolls in your freezer section. Let it rise as you would when making bread…..flatten it out..tear off a chunk and fry it as in the instructions in the orginal post.
Hi I was wondering if it matters what type of yeast to use?
Use ACTIVE DRY Yeast… my favorite and trusted brand is Fleischmann’s. 🙂
Hello Gloria, love your name. I have been searching the web for a fried dough recipe using yeast, saw your name/website and clicked. Site and pictures very nice and inviting. One thing that I will be using this recipe, you gave me a tip for rising the dough, the microwave. I always had issues with getting the dough to double in size, but you gave me the perfect answer. I am Italian and we make sticks here in Northeast PA, then coat in sugar only.
I will be buying fresh yeast as that was one of my problems, out dated yeast. Never use out dated yeast. Then another tip is add sugar, so when I get all my ingredients I will be frying some up.
Have you ever tried a bucket for the rising part, I heard that works too. Also what about using Tipo 00 flour? I have a few pounds of that flour and would love to use it up before that too expires. It is specifically used for breads, never bought bread flour. I will try the Caputo Tipo 00 flour and pray it works. I will post my results when finished, thank you so much Gloria, wonderful site, wonderful tips and wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much, Gloria! I LOVE using bread flour in any bread recipe… I’ve even been mixing it with all-purpose and cake flour for a really yummy cookie recipe. The texture is amazing. I’m so happy you love my microwave tip for rising dough. It feels as though it can do its thing without being disturbed by a cold draft. 🙂
Please stop by again and let us know how this recipe turned out for you. Lots of love!
I grew up eating this. In my family we called it dishrags, which is what my mother and her siblings also called it. I suspect it got that name because of the way they flop around as you shape them. I have never served dishrags to anybody and not have them love it.
My daughter and her family have their own Thanksgiving tradition — homemade chicken noodle soup and dishrags.
Hilarious! I’m loving the name of these… especially with the Thanksgiving tradition! Sounds delish together! 🙂
Hi there, Gloria. My mother used to make these with leftover homemade bread dough, and she would snip small chunks off and fry them up. They were easily one of the best “treats” that us kids could look forward to. I would stand at the counter and wait for them to be done so I could grab some while they were still warm. We would either put powdered sugar on them, or slather them with homemade jelly, which was my personal favorite. They were called “windbags” in our house, though. Loving all the different names for them. I can’t wait to try your larger flatter version with the taco toppings.. sounds wonderful!
Yum! Fry Bread is the best treat! Love it with honey.
YumGoggle recently posted…Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Kabobs with Swiss Cheese Dip
Since being diagnosed with Celiac disease I haven’t had any fry bread so I used your recipe but swapped bread flour for cup-cup gluten free all purpose flour and it turned out amazing!!
So I tried this and I couldn’t get it to turn out quite right. 2 things: 1- my dough was still pretty sticky after the 4 1/2 cups of flour. I live in a humid climate, is it possible that I should have added even more flour? 2- after I took the raised dough out of the microwave to fry it the dough almost completely deflated. Like a balloon that popped. Do you know what I did wrong to cause this? Thanks for your help!!!
Has anyone figured out the difference in the amount of flour needed for humid climates? I live in a valley in KY, which can be quite humid at times! If anyone has figured out a better measurement for the flour, it’d be appreciated if you share it!
I live in a very dry climate. But when it’s stormy and there’s a lot of humidity in the air, the flour content changes in any dough making. This is why flour is usually almost always in different measurements depending upon where you are… and how the air is that day. Try adding a little bit at a time to insure great texture. If adding too much flour all at once, makes for a dry dough. Hope this helped a little bit. 😉
From New Mexico, and i have never seen or heard of yeast used in fry bread……this is not a traditional recipe!
I can’t see anywhere Gloria stated that it was a “traditional” recipe. As a matter of fact, I believe she stated very clearly that she called it “fry bread” so as to not confuse it with scones. Sorry Tradition Police, no room here for your negativity. Go away.
how many pieces of fry bread does this recipe make?
This is just the recipe I needed! My nana used to always make fried dough (with maple syrup) for us on special occasions when I was a kid; and I’ve been getting a craving for it again…over two decades later. lol
Gloria, made these for a large group and they were very well received. Thanks so much! 🙂
These are perfect to serve to a hungry group! Thanks so much for your feedback on how these worked out for you! 🙂
this is verry good
Thank you for this recipe. When I lived in New Mexico, I was fortunate enough to have access to Navajo Fry Bread Tacos. If you have never had them, they are sublime. Just top the fry bread with ground beef, chopped tomato, lettuce, onion, and shredded cheddar or Longhorn cheese. I could really get fat on these. I avoid carbs because I am diabetic, but once in a while I indulge moderately (contradiction?). : )
Thank you for this recipe. There are many recipes for fry bread out there, but yours, with the butter flavored shortening, sugar, egg and yeast gives the fry bread so much more flavor than the ones made with simply baking powder, flour, milk and salt. Your additional techniques of scalding the milk to deactivate the protease in the milk (to make the bread less coarse and rise better) and the use of bread flour (which gives the bread better texture) all create that perfect fry bread.