Fry Bread

Ingredients

• 1 pkg yeast (I think we use Fleischmann’s ¾ oz packets)

• ~1 cup very warm water (use the amt called for on the yeast pkg; also warm enough to activate the yeast but not scald/kill it, I usually do a wrist test for temperature)

• 2 tbsp butter plus some for proofing/rest/rise (lard or vegetable oil or shortening may be substituted) 

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 4 cup flour (2 cups initially then more gradually)

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water for ~1 minute.

2. Add the butter/lard/oil to the water -until it's melted.

3. Mix 2 cups Flour with sugar and salt.

4. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, mix together completely.

5. Keep adding flour until you can knead it without it sticking to your hands-you may not use all 4 cups of flour. Knead gently ~10 times. (These are my mother’s instructions, I generally try to knead as little as possible to get the ingredients incorporated)

6. Form into a ball.

7. Smear butter/ lard/oil on the dough.

8. Cover it with a warm, damp cloth (kitchen towel is what I typically end up using) and let it rise in a warm quiet undisturbed place- for however long the yeast pkg says (Rapid Rise Yeast has a shorter rise time).

9. After it has risen- pinch off pieces of dough however big you want your bread to be, depending on what you're eating it with-Indian Tacos, Chili, etc. *Note: The color you’re looking for is a deep golden brown once you start cooking.

10. Fry it in preheated oil, almost any vegetable oil will do (olive oil doesn't work, it has too low of a smoke point)

11. If you're eating it with soup/chili and you're making dinner roll sized pcs., make a hole in the center of the pieces either with your finger or a fork (think like a doughnut or bagel but the hole is smaller like the width of a pencil). This helps it cook through, so it's not doughy in the center.

Double Recipe for quick reference

• 2 pkg yeast (I think we use Fleischmann’s ¾ oz packets)

• ~1 or 2 cups very warm water (use the amt called for on the yeast pkg; also warm enough to activate the yeast but not scald/kill it, I usually do a wrist test for temperature)

• 4 tbsp butter plus some for proofing/rest/rise (lard or vegetable oil or shortening may be substituted) 

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 4 to 8 cups flour (2 or 4 cups initially then more gradually)