Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes

| Native American Cuisine

This is a traditional Native American flatbread usually made on an open fire or a barbecue, or fried in a pan of hot oil over a stove top. This recipe uses modern techniques and tools.

Fry bread is best served hot, topped with melted margarine, honey or agave nectar, berry jam, or cinnamon and sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder (alternatively and for a healthier end product, you can substitute either 1/4 cup of plain yogurt, or a 1/4 cup of soured milk as a leavening agent instead of baking powder, but add 2 hours to the rest time for the dough, and the dough must be left somewhere warm. You can include the baking powder as well to get a very puffy version of frybread as an optional ingredient)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 T shortening (alternatively, you can use mayonaise in place of shortening for a crispy, crunchier texture)
• 2/3 cup hot water (if using yogurt or soured milk for leavening, use a 1/2 cup of water instead)

Procedure

1. Mix flour, baking powder (or yogurt or soured milk) and salt in a bowl.
2. Use a pastry blender (or two butter knives) to cut the shortening (or mayonaise) into the flour.
3. Add the hot water and mix until the water is incorporated.
4. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured board.
5. Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (if using yogurt or soured milk as a leavening agent, let the dough rest for 2 hours).
7. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a ball, and roll into flat disks with a rolling pin.
8. Brush one side of each disk with melted margarine and place on a barbecue over a 3 Mississippi fire (you can also fry the dough in hot oil over a stovetop. The dough cooks rapidly and will brown in about 12 seconds and must be turned over to allow the opposite side to brown, then be removed from the oil and placed sideways into a colander or large bowl lined with paper towels to allow the oil to drain off the finished product).
9. Brush the opposing side of the bread with margarine and flip the bread on the barbecue.
10. Cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot.