Favourite Fry Bread

Fry bread is one of those magical, simple breads that comes together from four pantry staples and turns into something extraordinary the second it hits hot oil. The dough rests for a half hour before frying, which is the only patience required, and the rest of the work happens in your hands as you pat each ball into a thin tortilla-like round.

The rest is what makes a tender fry bread instead of a tough one. Resting relaxes the gluten you stretched while mixing, so the dough rolls thin without springing back. Skip it and you fight the dough every step of the way.

When the round hits the hot oil, it puffs almost immediately into a golden pillow with crisp edges and a chewy center. That puffing is your cue that the oil is the right temperature. If the bread sinks and absorbs oil, the heat is too low.

Pro Tips

• Heat the oil to 375°F (190°C) before frying. Cooler oil and the bread soaks up grease; hotter oil and the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
• Pat the dough thin and even, no thicker than a flour tortilla. Thicker dough fries unevenly with raw spots in the center.
• Fry one or two breads at a time. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature fast and the rest of the batch turns greasy.
• Drain on a wire rack instead of paper towels. Paper towels trap steam underneath the bread and the bottom turns soggy in minutes.

Variations

• Top with seasoned ground beef, pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheddar to build a Navajo-style Indian taco.
• Drizzle warm fry bread with honey or dust with cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat that pairs with coffee.
• Stir a tablespoon of melted lard or butter into the dough for a richer, more traditional fry bread crumb.