How to Make Funnel Cake and Fried Dough

How to Make Indian Fry Bread

• 4 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
Add water until mixture forms as a stiff dough.
• Knead until dough is thick and elastic.
• Form into very thin round patties.
• Fry in 1/2 inch oil until light brown on both sides.

Pima Indian Bread

• 2 c. flour
• 1 Tbsp. lard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 c. warm milk or water

-Mix and make 6 balls. Let stand for 30 minutes. (Cover with cloth.)
-Make the ball flat by stretching it in a round circle, thin as possible.
-Make one at a time and fry in hot oil, (real hot oil) until golden brown. Very good with beans.

Fry Bread

• 4 cups sifted flour
• 6 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 1 3/4 cup water

-Mix dry ingredients well. Add water all at once. Dough should be somewhat sticky.
-Flatten into disk-like shape.
-Deep fry at 350°F until golden brown or each side or heat about 1” of oil until a small amount of dough rises to top of oil as soon as you put it in. Makes 16 pieces.

My Note: When I make fry bread, this is the recipe I use. But I put the mix in a jar, and then use what I need, generally a cup of mix at a time. See what I use my fry bread for: Indian Tacos

Indian Fry Bread

• 3 cups flour, either all white or 1/2 whole wheat
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

-Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
-Add warm water and knead until dough is soft, but not sticky.
-Stretch and pat dough until thin.
-Tear off one piece at a time, poke a hole through the middle and drop onto a kettle of sizzling hot lard or cooking oil. Brown both sides. Serve hot.
Recipe from 1978 cooking magazine

Tip: Sliced in two, fry bread makes delicious hamburger buns, or later toasted, very good with honey or jam. A lot of people also put refried beans or powdered sugar on fry bread.

Fried Dough

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 pint milk, warm
• 1 stick butter soft
• 4 cups flour
• 2 pkg. yeast

-Pour yeast in 1 cup warm milk and 1 Tablespoon of sugar, stir.
-Sift together flour, salt, and sugar and make a well in mixture.
-Add eggs and milk a little at a time. Add butter. Stir well.
-When thoroughly mixed, grease a large bowl and place dough in bowl. Cover and let rise for about 11/2 to 2 hours.
-When dough rises and appears light in texture, cut off some of the dough and stretch it with your hands.
-Drop into hot fat and fry until golden brown.

Tip: Add anything you would like to the fried dough, such as powdered sugar, cinnamon and sugar.

Krusti

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c. cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 T. sugar
• Flour (enough to make a stiff dough)

Mix all ingredients. Roll out dough, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2 x 3 inch slices. Deep fry. Eat plain or with jelly.
Recipe from a 1998 Platt SD recipe book

Easy Elephant Ears Recipe

• 1 16 oz loaf frozen white bread dough
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• cooking oil for shallow fat frying

-Thaw dough according to directions. Cut into 12 pieces.
-In a small bowl, mix together the sugar & cinnamon & set aside.
-On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to form a small thick oval.
-In heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.
-Cook bread ovals, 1 or 2 at a time, in shallow hot oil (about 1/2 in.) until lightly browned. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels.
-Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the fried bread. You can keep them warm in oven while frying the remainder. Great recipe.

Funnel Cake Batter Recipe

• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

-Beat the egg in a bowl, add the milk, Mix all the dry ingredients, then add to egg and milk. Mix until lump free.
-Fill an iron skillet with 2 inches of corn oil. Hold your finger over the small end of a 3/8 inch funnel. Pour batter into the large end.
-Now remove your finger from the small end while holding the funnel 2 inches above the hot oil and let batter drop in a swirling motion.
-Start in the center and work your way out to an 8 inch diameter.
-Fry on each side about 1 1/2 minutes using tongs to flip.
-Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Eat warm
Recipe from my own file box

Tip: What if you don't have a funnel? Try pouring the batter in a steady stream from a measuring cup with a spout.

Funnel Cakes

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

-Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs and milk. Beat mixture until smooth.
-Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil to 375°F in a skillet.
-Cover bottom opening of a funnel with your finger. A funnel with at least a 3/8 inch opening works best.
-Pour 1/4 cup batter into funnel. Hold the funnel over the center of the skillet.
-Remove finger from funnel end to release the batter into the hot oil.
-Move funnel in a slow circular motion to form a spiral or other design.
-Fry two minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
-Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot with syrup or fruit.
Recipe from 1983 church cookbook

Homemade Banana Funnel cake

• 2 bananas
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Puree the bananas in blender or food processor or mash them real good with a fork, add sugar, eggs, then milk.
Mix together flour and spices and add to banana mixture.

Fried Drop Cakes

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon melted butter

Beat egg until light; add milk, dry ingredients mixed and sifted, and melted butter.
Drop by spoonfuls in hot, new, deep fat; fry until light brown and cooked through, which must at first be determined by piercing with a skewer, or breaking apart.
Remove with a skimmer, and drain on brown paper.
Fanny Farmer Recipe 1893

Fritter Beans

• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup flour

Beat egg until light, add milk, salt, and flour.
Put through colander or pastry tube into deep fat, and fry until brown; drain on brown paper.
Fanny Farmer Recipe 1893

Lefse

• 8 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

-Rice or mash hot boiled potatoes.
-Add all other ingredients except flour.
-Cool. (Set in fridge several hours or overnight.)
-Add flour to cooled potato mixture. (Mix in with your hands works best.)
-Form Lefse dough into golf ball size (or larger) portions.
-Roll out thin.
-Use flour as needed on rolling pin and pastry cloth.
-Cook on hot, dry Lefse griddle or nonstick pan, cooking once each side.
Recipe from Kathryn, ND