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Authentic Frybread Recipe
South Dakota, United States of America
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
This staple Native American dish is traditionally made with only five ingredients — flour, baking powder, powdered milk, salt, and water are mixed together and kneaded into a smooth, soft dough, which is then divided into small fist- or egg-sized balls. These dough balls are then patted or stretched by hand into disks, usually only 1/4 to 1/2-inch (0.6 to 1.25 cm) thick. They are then shallow-fried or deep-fried until golden on both sides and are then placed on paper towels to drain. An important step is to leave the dough to rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes, either before or after it has been divided into balls. The longer the rest, the better — this will give the frybread a light and fluffy texture. The liquid ingredients are typically added to the dry ones, but some recipes do the opposite. In addition to this basic recipe, oil or lard is also often added, and milk and yeast are sometimes used instead of water and baking powder. Eggs, yogurt, buttermilk, and cornmeal ... Read more
Cooking tips
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dough
For the perfect frybread, the dough should be soft but not too sticky and, when tested, fall off your hand easily. The amount of time the dough is left to rise is crucial. The more, the better, but overnight is ideal. -
shape
Regarding shape, frybreads can be made into any shape or size you prefer, be it circles, strips, or triangles, big or small. -
handling the dough
Be careful not to roll out the dough too thinly because that will prevent the frybread from bubbling up during frying. Another thing to be mindful of is to stretch the dough with your hands before putting it into the oil. That way, you can check and adjust the thickness of the dough where necessary. -
frying
Make sure that the oil is hot, but not too hot, as that too will prevent the frybreads from puffing up. Often, cooks will make a hole or even two holes in each piece of dough. Doing this will help frybreads puff up evenly during frying. If you decide to make your frybreads without holes, in case you get a big bubble in the middle, just slit it carefully with a knife to let steam escape.
Recipe variations
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Navajo Frybread
Ready in 1h 35minThe recipe is for the Navajo version of frybread, which is made with just flour, powdered milk, baking powder, salt, and water. Make sure to drain the frybreads on paper towels to remove excess oil. The recipe suggests that you top them with chili beans, but any other topping will do.
Navajo Frybread
PREP 20min
COOK 15min
RESTING 1h
READY IN 1h 35min
The recipe is for the Navajo version of frybread, which is made with just flour, powdered milk, baking powder, salt, and water. Make sure to drain the frybreads on paper towels to remove excess oil. The recipe suggests that you top them with chili beans, but any other topping will do.
Ingredients
1 cup (120g) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup (60g) powdered milk
1/4 tsp salt
warm water, as needed
Preparation
Step 1/5
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and slowly add warm water, kneading until you form a dough.
Step 2/5
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until you get a smooth, non-sticky dough. Cover with a cloth and leave it to rest for an hour.
Step 3/5
Divide the dough into small balls and pat them into flat rounds about 1/4 to 1/2-inch (0.6-1.25cm) thick.
Step 4/5
Heat a 1/2-inch (1.25cm) thick layer of vegetable oil. Fry each side of the round of dough until golden brown, then leave them to drain on paper towels.
Step 5/5
To serve, top with chili beans or any other topping of your choice.
Other Variations
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