Basic Fried Bread Recipe

By
Elizabeth Yetter
Elizabeth Yetter
Bread expert Elizabeth Yetter has been baking bread for more than 20 years, bringing her Pennsylvania Dutch Country experiences to life through recipes.
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Updated on 03/8/22
Basic Fried Bread Recipe

 The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 23 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 10 flatbreads
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
227 Calories
15g Fat
19g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 227
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 204mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 27mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Made in a traditional Indian style, this easy fry bread recipe is truly delicious. It is a very basic recipe that requires just five common ingredients and there are many ways that you can enjoy it.

Fried bread goes great with breakfast meals when smothered in your favorite jelly or jam. For snack time, cover the warm bread with powdered sugar and they taste just like homemade doughnuts. There is no sugar in this recipe, so it also makes a great addition to savory meals.

1:41

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 2 cups shortening, about 3/4 inch

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe ingredients
    The Spruce

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the salt, baking powder, and flour.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. Mix in the oil and water.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Form the dough into a ball and set it on a lightly floured board.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Pull off approximately 10 golfball-sized bits. Shape them into balls and flatten each into a pancake. Poke a hole in the center of each flattened circle.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  6. Fill a large frying pan with about 3/4-inch of shortening or lard and heat the oil.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  7. Fry the bread for a few seconds on each side until they are golden brown.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  8. Set the bread on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  9. When warm, the bread can be covered in confectioners' sugar, like a powdered doughnut. Do this by placing the fried bread in a bag filled with a 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar. Give the bag a quick shake to cover the bread with sugar and remove the bread.

    Basic Fried Bread Recipe
     The Spruce

  10. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • To freeze, let the bread cool and place it in a freezer bag. They will keep nicely in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to eat, thaw the bread out and place them in a warm oven to heat them back up.

Recipe Variations

The recipe above makes a fried bread in the Indian style. Many other cultures enjoy fried bread as well and here are some of our favorite recipes from around the world.