Recipe: Navajo Fry Bread

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

Cornmeal or flour for dusting board
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water, approximately
Oil or lard for deep frying
Lightly dust a board with cornmeal or flour.

In a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly 4 cups flour, the baking powder and the salt. Add warm water in small amounts, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough.

Knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Heat 2-3 inches of oil or lard in a deep fryer or large, deep frying pan to 400 degrees F.

Pull off 2-inch-round pieces of dough and roll out 1/4-inch thick and 8-10 inches around on a board dusted with cornmeal or flour. Punch hole in center of each piece with a finger.

Fry bread rounds, one at a time, on each side until golden (about 1 minute per side).

TO SERVE:
Serve hot, sprinkled with powdered sugar or ground cinnamon/sugar combination, or drizzled with honey. Use fry bread as a base for Navajo tacos or as an accompaniment to chili.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Fry bread may be wrapped airtight and frozen up to three months. Reheat in a foil packet in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Just before serving, open the foil to allow the fry bread to dry out on the outside.

Makes about 15
Source: Woman's Day Book of New Mexican Cooking by Jane Butel