You'll find recipes making use of baking powder: don't try them. They're not good. Baking powder appears to be a favorite ingredient in the Arizona fry-bread competitions (or, a few Navajos have been pulling my leg: how would I know?). I've tried recipes like that including one from a woman who's won competitions. In the end, I don't find those recipes edible.
This one is more or less a simple, one-pound white bread recipe with egg and oil in it. It uses yeast and you do have to proof it a bit, but the sugar content makes it explode pretty fast. You're in business within an hour on a warm day.
The challenge to these is to keep them from getting too dark. I suggest rolling them very thin, watching the temperature and generally just staying on top of the frîture: don't drop the dough into the hot oil, then turn away thinking you have a few minutes.
Don't over-flour your dough to keep it from sticking. Make it "greasy" to keep it from sticking instead. If you have flour dust on your dough, the frying oil will quickly become filthy and you'll have to throw the oil out at the end of your preparations.
This recipe is perfect for Navajo tacos.
| 3 tbsp | warm water |
| 1 tbsp | yeast |
| 1 tsp | sugar |
| 1 | egg |
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Mix the 3 tbsp warm water with the yeast and sugar in a glass measuring cup. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until yeast becomes frothy. Then, add the egg and mix well. I use a tiny wisk for all of this. |
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| 1 cup | hot water |
| ⅓ cup | oil |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| ¼ cup | sugar |
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot water, oil, salt and sugar. Set aside to wait for the yeast mixture above. Once the yeast mixture is ready, add it to this oil mixture and stir well. Caution: hot doesn't mean so hot you kill the yeast when you add it. |
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| 3½ cups | all-purpose flour |
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Gradually add the flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition to the mixture made in the previous step. Knead until you get an elastic consistency, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large, well-greased bowl and let rise for 30 minutes, or until double in size. |
|
| 2 quarts | frying oil |
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Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350°-375°. Once it's done rising, punch down the dough and divide into the pieces you want (for scones, Navajo tacos, etc.). Turn each piece onto a lightly floured surface and roll to ⅛" thick. Place the dough in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and fry until golden brown on that side as well. Transfer the scone to the paper towels and repeat until all the dough is fried. | |
These are the instructions broken out into steps if you like that better.
1. Mix the 3 tbsp warm water with the yeast and add a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes until yeast becomes frothy.
2. In a large bowl, combine the hot water, oil, salt and sugar. Set aside.
3. Add the egg to the yeast mixture and mix well.
4. Add the yeast mixture to the oil mixture and stir well.
5. Gradually add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Knead until you get an elastic consistency, about 5 minutes.
6. Place the dough in a large, well-greased bowl and let rise for 30 minutes, or until double in size.
7. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
8. Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350°-375°.
9. Once it's done rising, punch down the dough and divide into the pieces you want (for scones, Navajo tacos, etc.). Turn each piece onto a lightly floured surface and roll until ⅛" thick.
10. Place the dough in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip and fry until golden brown on that side as well.
11. Transfer the scone to the paper towels and repeat until all the dough is fried.
Navajo tacos: this recipe, divided into eight portions and rolled out into round disks makes perfect-sized Navajo tacos for most people. (I'm past the point where I like a gut-busting taco that's bigger than a dinner plate.) I find I can make these a little ahead of time and keep them warm for a good hour in a 135° oven unwrapped and piled on a plate.