Fry bread arose in the mid-1800s when displaced nations were given government flour, sugar, and lard; it is now iconic at powwows yet carries the painful history of the reservations.
Tear into hot fry bread and it is puffed and golden, crisp and blistered outside, soft and chewy within, a drizzle of honey soaking into the warm dough. Bite: light yet rich from the frying, comforting and a little sweet, the kind of bread eaten with the hands. A simple pleasure carrying a deep and complicated history.
Baking powder and the moisture flashing to steam in hot oil puff the flat dough dramatically; the pierced centre stops it ballooning unevenly. Frying gives the crisp, blistered crust and rich flavour. Its very ingredients — government-ration flour, sugar, lard — are why the bread is both beloved and a painful emblem.
Variations
As an Indian taco (with beans and meat). With powdered sugar. With cinnamon. Navajo-style. With jam. Savory with cheese.
On the Palate
Where Fry Bread sits in the Native American flavor cloud
Get the oil hot enough (around 175°C) and pierce the centre before frying, so the dough puffs and blisters instead of soaking up grease and turning heavy.
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
8 steps · 30 min active + 30 min waiting
- 13 min
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and a little sugar.
- 24 min
Stir in warm milk (or water) to a soft dough.
- 331 min
Knead briefly and rest 30 min, covered.
- 46 min
Divide and pat each piece into a thin round; pierce the centre.
Watch outPat each piece thin and even and poke the centre; a thick middle stays doughy inside.
- 55 min
Heat oil for deep frying until shimmering.
Watch outThe oil is ready when it shimmers and a test scrap sizzles up at once, not smoking.
- 66 min
Fry each round, flipping once, until puffed and golden.
Watch outFlip when the underside is puffed and golden and the edges look set, usually under a minute a side.
- 72 min
Drain on paper.
- 82 min
Serve hot with honey, or topped savory as an Indian taco.
