Frybread

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gplain flour
• 2 tbspbaking powder
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 tbsppowdered milk, if wanted
• 375 mlwarm water

For frying

• 1 litrelard or neutral oil

To serve sweet

• honey, to drizzle
• icing sugar, to dust

To serve as an Indian taco

• 500 gseasoned minced beef
• 400 gcooked pinto beans
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomato
• grated cheese
• sliced onion
• salsa

Directions

1. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and powdered milk in a large bowl and whisk them together. Pour in the warm water and mix it with a fork until it comes together in a shaggy mass.
2. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead it briefly, for no more than a minute. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, and must not be worked until it is tight. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest for thirty minutes. Now shaping the discs, which is done by hand rather than with a rolling pin.
3. Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll each one into a ball. Flatten a ball with your palm, then stretch it out from the centre with your fingers. Work it into a disc about eighteen centimetres across and half a centimetre thick.
4. Keep the middle slightly thinner than the edge, which helps it puff evenly. Some cooks poke a small hole in the centre to stop it doming up on one side. Heat the lard or oil in a heavy pan to about 190C, deep enough for the bread to float. It should sizzle hard and begin to puff within a few seconds.
5. Fry it for about a minute, until the underside is deep golden and blistered. Turn it once with tongs and fry the other side for the same time. Do not turn it more than once, since that knocks the air out of it.
6. Lift it onto a rack lined with paper and let the fat drain off. Fry the rest one or two at a time, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.
7. Lay a whole frybread flat and spoon seasoned beef and beans over the middle of it. Pile on lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion, and finish with salsa. Serve it hot in either case, since frybread is heavy and dull once it has cooled.

Technique

• Knead the dough for under a minute, since overworking it makes the bread tough.
• Fry at a steady 190C so the bread puffs quickly rather than soaking up fat.
• Turn it once only, since repeated turning collapses the puff.

Substitutions

• Neutral oil in place of lard, though lard is traditional.
• Milk in place of water and powdered milk.

Variations

• Indian taco, built with beef, beans and salad.
• With honey and butter, the standard sweet version.
• Navajo, Lakota and Tohono O’odham versions all differ slightly in thickness.

History

Born of the flour, lard and sugar rations issued to Native nations forced off their lands in the nineteenth century.

Frequently asked questions

What is Frybread?

Frybread is a bread & pastry from United States: flat disc of dough fried puffy, eaten plain or built into an Indian taco. Born of the flour, lard and sugar rations issued to Native nations forced off their lands in the nineteenth century.

How long does Frybread take to make?

Frybread takes 20 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 breads. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Frybread?

Yes, within limits. Neutral oil in place of lard, though lard is traditional. Milk in place of water and powdered milk.

What is the most important thing to get right in Frybread?

Turn it onto a floured surface and knead it briefly, for no more than a minute. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, and must not be worked until it is tight. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest for thirty minutes. Now shaping the discs, which is done by hand rather than with a rolling pin.