FRY BREAD

[nverland]

FRY BREAD
prep time 15 minutes cook time 8 minutes resting time 20 minutes total time 43 minutes servings 8 fry

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2-1/3 cup (313g) white, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (NOT soda!)
2 teaspoons white, granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (240g) milk (we use whole)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil + more for frying

INSTRUCTIONS
DOUGH: Melt butter in the microwave. Let the butter cool back to room temperature (it's important it's not hot!). Microwave the milk until just warmed (Note 2), but not hot. Mix together melted butter and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
Dough should be rough, shaggy, and fairly sticky, but not so sticky you can't work with it. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough just a few times to shape it into a ball, being careful not to overwork/over-handle the dough. In the same bowl you used for mixing, drizzle a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bowl. Rub oil on the bottom of the bowl and slightly up the sides. Add the dough ball back into the bowl and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for about 15-20 minutes. We don't need the dough to rise, just the gluten to relax!

PREPARE FOR FRYING: Add 1 inch of oil to a large cast iron pot and heat to 350 degrees F. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions (cut the ball of dough in half then half again to get 4 large triangle pieces. Cut each triangle into 2 pieces to get 8 equal triangles). Lightly flour your hands and work with one piece of dough at a time (keep the rest of the dough portions covered). Holding the piece of dough with your hands, gently work the dough into a circle pressing it out with your fingers. (Don't roll out the dough with a rolling pin or flatten on the table.) The dough should make a thin 5- to 6-inch circle and doesn't need to look pretty -- it's supposed to be rustic looking! The thinner the pieces, the better; keep working the dough outwards, being careful to not rip it.

FRY: Gently drop only one piece of dough at a time into the fully heated oil. Fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side (if not using cast iron pot, it will be longer) -- fry pieces to a dark golden brown color, flipping the dough with 2 forks (or tongs) halfway through. Use a large slotted spoon (or tongs) to remove the dough onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat to fry the remaining dough.

RECIPE NOTES
Note 1: Frying equipment options:
Use a deep fryer.
If you don’t have a deep fryer, you’ll want a heavy-bottomed deep pot (I recommend using a large (5 quart) cast iron pot) and thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil and ensure it maintains the right heat throughout frying. We want to ensure the temperature stays consistent and doesn’t get too hot (or too cool) which will affect how the bread fries. If you don't have access to a thermometer, try this trick: Stand a wooden spoon handle in the hot oil. When bubbles gather around the stick, the oil is ready to fry.
Note 2: Test milk temperature: Drizzle a few drops of the warmed milk onto the inside of your wrist. If it is warm and comfy it will be perfect for the yeast. If it feels hot, it will be too hot for the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will simply remain dormant.