Indian Frye Bread

Don Baer

Moderator
Staff member
Since Vaughn brought it up on his bread thread ...

we make frye bread for the kids when we have block parties.

Here is a basic recipe. Some folks will use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk.

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4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
4 cups shortening for frying
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Directions


Combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir in 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water. Knead until soft but not sticky. let it sit for 30-45 minutes. Shape dough into balls about 3 inches in diameter. Flatten into patties 1/2 inch thick, (I like mine a little thinner), and make a small hole in the center of each patty.
Fry one at a time in 1 inch of hot shortening, turning to brown on both sides. (stick is optional) Drain on paper towels.
 
I do similar with yeast bread - got the idea from my grams and have been using it ever since.

When you're making bread, after the first rise when you shape the loaves save a bit to the side (say four 1" balls per person).
Take each ball and gently knead to make sure its all together and then flatten to about 1/4" thick.
Cover with a towel and let rise for maybe 30m or so.
Fry same as Dons although I can usually do two or three at a time (and maybe use a bit more oil - these will swell up like the dickens).
Enjoy with butter and honey or sorghum molasses.

If you start your bread around breakfast this makes a tasty treat with lunch.
 
Ryan, if you roll those out and cut the dough into 3" to 5" triangles - or squares - before frying them, you've essentially got another local favorite bread, the sopaipilla. (Pronounced so-pie-PEE-yah. Gringos call them sofa pillows. :D) They're traditionally served with honey. (Bite a corner off, then pour the honey on the inside.) Any good New Mexican restaurant worth its salt will have squeeze bottles of honey at every table, because sopaipillas come with nearly every dish. :thumb:
 
That looks yummy...could make a taco out of it!! If your hands are shot, like mine :(, I use our bread maker to mix and kneed through one proof, then into the bowl it goes!
 
Just a little history lesson on where fry bread came from.
The Navajo planters lived from the Earth as their ancestors had for hundreds of years before. They also raised livestock to feed their family. The Navajo dinetah (or homeland) was bordered by the four sacred mountains, from northeastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and north into Utah and Colorado. They planted crops in the fertile valley lands, such as Canyon de Chelly known for Ansazi ruins.
The Navajo traded with the Spanish, Mexican, Pueblos, Apache, Comanche, and even the early American pioneers. Around 1846, large numbers of pioneers moved into the area and the cavalry came with them. This is when troubles began. The troubles escalated with the murder or Narbona (1766-1849), a well-respected Navajo leader on August 31, 1849. On this day, Narbona along with several hundred of his warriors, had come to meet and discuss peace with U.S. Colonel John M. Washington and others of the military stationed in the area.There had been trouble with the New Men (the New Mexican settlers who had driven Mexican settlers out of the area).
After several hours, it was believed a settlement had been agreed upon. However, a young warrior by the name of Sadoval, had plans of his own. Mounting his horse he began to ride in front of the Navajo party, attempting to have them break the treaty. A U.S. Calvary soldier began to say that one of the horses ridden by a Navajo was his, and what peace there was in the meeting that was disintegrating into battle. Colonel Washington commanded the Navajo to stand down and return the horse to the soldier or he would fire into them. The rider and horse were now gone, and the Navajo party did not comply. A canon was fired, and Narbona was mortally wounded. It is told that he was scalped by a U.S. soldier as he lay dying.
This disastrous attempt at peace led to the Long Walks. In September 1863, Kit Carson (1809-1868) was dispatched into Navajo land to retrieve a surrender. When no Navajo came to meet with him, he ordered the burning of the land. Attempts were made to starve out the Navajo and many were captured and taken to Bosque Redondo near Fort Sumner. Hundreds starved on the 300 mile walk and more would die later in the crowded and disparaging conditions. Navajo were placed with the Mescalero Apache where home peace was often not the case. The camps were meant for 4,000 to 5,000 people, yet there were now over 9,000 people, and supplies were meager.
The government supplies of lard, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder or yeast, and powdered milk were often rancid. Fry bread came from these few foods provided during the 4 years of captivity. Since that time, it has become common food at most all PowWows of numerous tribes
To some, Indian Fry Bread is a sacred tradition. It is to be consumed by the people until the earth has again become purified.

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/NavajoFryBread.htm
 
so its fried dough?

I used to buy fried dough(zeppoles) all the time at carnivals, boardwalk on the beaches, worst stuff on earth for anyone, but gotta be one of the best tasting things ever.
Also funnel cake, fried dough, with any toppings, sugar, strawberries, bananas, chocolate, or all of the above.
My wife and I would get a funnel cake topped with whatever, and make a meal out of it.
 
Don explained the history of fry bread and how the tradition. But, sadly, there is now more to the story.
On another forum I belong to there has been a discussion about some Indian traditions and how they have been lost.
Today, on many reservations the natives are living unhealthy and short lives with diets of often nothing more than malt beer and fry bread. It may be comfort food that can help sustain life in a survival situation but is deadly as an exclusive diet.
 
Frank's comments are spot on. I've seen firsthand many of the problems that exist on the reservations. Diet, drinking, and drugs are all major issues.

Also, keeping the traditions alive while simultaneously dealing with the modern world are a big challenge for many Native Americans. The bass player in one of my former bandmate's band is a guy named Eddie Two Moons. Eddie's a great bass player (everything from classical to jazz to rock) and we've become good friends. Eddie is also the President of the Chiricahua Apache tribe (the tribe once led by Cochise and Geronimo). He has told me some interesting (and in some cases, heartbreaking) stories of some of the problems he has to deal with trying to lead his tribe into the 21st century.
 
Frank's comments are spot on. I've seen firsthand many of the problems that exist on the reservations. Diet, drinking, and drugs are all major issues.

Also, keeping the traditions alive while simultaneously dealing with the modern world are a big challenge for many Native Americans. The bass player in one of my former bandmate's band is a guy named Eddie Two Moons. Eddie's a great bass player (everything from classical to jazz to rock) and we've become good friends. Eddie is also the President of the Chiricahua Apache tribe (the tribe once led by Cochise and Geronimo). He has told me some interesting (and in some cases, heartbreaking) stories of some of the problems he has to deal with trying to lead his tribe into the 21st century.

We see them here to. Several reservations in the valley and no really connection to the old world. Although there are the occasional meetings with the amazing people that do baskets and food in Yosemite and the Sierra foothills.
 
That looks yummy...could make a taco out of it!! If your hands are shot, like mine :(, I use our bread maker to mix and kneed through one proof, then into the bowl it goes!

Jim, you might want to also look into some of the no/low knead breads. There are a good handful of techniques but they are mostly all based around two primary concepts:
  • trading time for effort. Gluten develops its stringiness from two things, agitation (kneading) and moisture. If you give it enough time (12-48 hours depending on the bread/technique) it will fully hydrate itself and you don't have to knead much/at all. Mostly just enough agitation to get everything mixed up well. A couple of things most recipes have in common is lower initial yeast count (although you can "retard" - yes that's the technical term - the yeast development by storing it cold overnight it may still over rise if you used the same amount of years), cool storage for longish periods of time - like overnight (again slowing the rise), and not adding any enriching/sweetening ingredients until after the dough has developed (like milk, eggs, honey, sugar - all gets folded in after).
  • The magic of folding. When you do need to mix it, instead of doing the "traditional" kneading (which I'm pretty sure was devised as a form of penance by someone who thought the other ways were just to easy) you can simply stretch and fold the dough. This takes very little relative effort and a few dozen folds is the equivalent of a whole lot of kneading. The catch is that it works best with relatively wet doughs (like french bread or pita), although I've gone up to doughs as dry as sandwich bread just fine with this technique. Extremely stiff doughs like pumpernickle are possible but a lot more work.

When I had my sourdough rocking I sort of took this to the logical extreme and just used the sourdough base and added just enough flour to make a dough folded in real quick and could have pita bread on the table in < 40 minutes (similar time for focaccia or other steam risen doughs) most of which was waiting for the oven to get hot.

Ryan, if you roll those out and cut the dough into 3" to 5" triangles - or squares - before frying them, you've essentially got another local favorite bread, the sopaipilla. (Pronounced so-pie-PEE-yah. Gringos call them sofa pillows. :D) They're traditionally served with honey. (Bite a corner off, then pour the honey on the inside.) Any good New Mexican restaurant worth its salt will have squeeze bottles of honey at every table, because sopaipillas come with nearly every dish. :thumb:

Very similar indeed - and I've eaten those by the dozens as well :D I mostly make whole wheat and more rustic breads instead of the white bread base the sopa's are made from other than that they're about the same.
 
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