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Fry Bread Links
Fry Bread: Warm, Soft and Totally Tempting
March 28, 2006
By Amy McFAll Prince Columbian staff writer
Bernadette Morris stands over a huge stock pot, whisking flour into warm water. Darlene Taylor shoves her gloved hand into a 50-pound sack of flour and pulls out a handful. "That's our measuring cup, right there," she says, pointing with her free hand to the heap of flour filling the other palm. A petite woman, Morris, 67, grasps a whisk with both hands and drags it through the thickening dough that will eventually become fry bread used to make Indian Tacos.
The dish and the fry bread are staples at American Indian powwows and family gatherings. As people gather in the Covington Middle School commons for this year's annual powwow, they eye the kitchen and the women making the dough, a sight that is familiar to many but much-anticipated nonetheless. Morris gives up on the whisk as the dough thickens. Gentle hands are the best tool for working the dough, so she plunges her gloved hands into the pot and starts pulling out handfuls of dough until she collects enough to knead into a large loaf. This is the first of two steps necessary to complete the dough. The fry bread she lovingly shapes has become emblematic of Native culture, but that wasn't always the case. As tribes were forced off of the lands they hunted and gathered from, the government provided them with flour and lard. Creative cooks first made the bread from rations delivered to them from the federal government. The bread took hold and has become bound to the culture in the decades since. It has become such a fixture that it came under fire last year. Some call it a culprit that is contributing to obesity and diabetes in the American Indian community. But these cooks are not debating politics or discussing history in their down moments. They are shepherding children around and chatting with friends. Before the powwow begins, the kitchen is the focal point of activity. It's the place where grandmothers, mothers, children and friends are saying their hellos and catching up. Playful banter quickly warms the cold kitchen filled with oversized stainless steel appliances. The bread eventually calls them back. Once the kneaded loaves have rested for about a half hour, Taylor and Morris pinch off balls of dough. They each hold up the balls, roughly the size of baseballs, and look to friends Anna Schmasow and Becky Archibald.
"Too big?" Taylor asks.
"Too big," Schmasow and Archibald reply in unison.
Taylor and Morris subtract some of the dough and hold up the balls again.
"Too big?" Taylor asks again, this time laughing.
"Too big," Schmasow replies.
One more time and the fry bread cooks all agree on the size. Each of the women is a seasoned cook, but because they are working together they decide to let Schmasow take the lead, using her recipe and deferring to her when it comes to decisions about the bread. After all, no one's recipe is taken from a book. It was learned by watching a relative, typically a mother.
After agreeing on the amount of dough for each piece of bread, Morris and Taylor begin flattening the balls into discs, the ultimate shape of the bread. Morris looks to Taylor, 68, and asks what she thinks about the thickness. "Not too flat, not too thin and not too thick," Taylor says. Then, nearly two hours after they began, they drop the first disc into hot oil. After a couple of minutes frying, the bread is removed. The smell of the fried bread lures one of the powwow organizers, Gary Wallace, into the kitchen. "Fry bread's done?" he asks, motioning at a piece in a way that suggests he wants a sample. "Try it," Taylor says energetically. Wallace tears off a piece of the soft, dense bread and chews. He smiles in approval. The women, who have now been joined by Morris' daughter, Melanie Dominguez, and Canya Barnes, turn back to the fryer. They discuss the shape of the bread. Frying in the commercial equipment takes some getting used to for these home cooks who typically fry on the stove top in smaller, shallower pans. In the deep vat of oil, the discs folded. The fry bread still tastes the same, but the thicker, puffy
bread will make it more difficult to use for assembling tacos. "Did you put the hole in it?" Barnes asks.
"Oh, the hole," Taylor says.
"We put more than one hole in it," Morris adds, referring to the way her mother taught her to make the bread when she was growing up in Alaska. The two cooks then start poking small holes in their discs. Taylor explains the hole not only prevents the dough from puffing up too much while cooking, but it also symbolizes an imperfection. It is tradition, she says, to place a mistake in a piece of work out of respect for the creator, the only one capable of perfection. Morris adds another touch. She delicately slips the dough into the oil so that it doesn't fold over in the process. After a few false starts, the bread begins to come out perfectly. It is golden colored, about a quarter- to a half-inch thick and smells heavenly. That's when customers start lining up, waiting for their own Indian Taco, which for many is wedded with warm memories of family and friends.
Amy McFall Prince can be reached at 360-759-8019 or amy.prince@columbian.com.
Did you know?
* Fry bread was created out of necessity as the federal government forced American Indian tribes off of the lands where they hunted and gathered. The government provided rations of flour and lard, which creative cooks turned into the bread that is now deeply wedded to the culture.
* Fry bread recipes vary slightly among different American Indian tribes.
Fry Bread
Provided by Anna Schmasow
Approximately 3/4 cup hot water
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon salt
13/4 teaspoon baking powder
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Pour hot water into another medium sized mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients to bowl with water. Mix until dough is similar to biscuit dough (the amount of water or flour may need to be adjusted to get the correct consistency). Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a ping-pong ball or larger and roll it out flat. Fry in hot canola oil on both sides until golden brown. Makes up to five small pieces. Eat with butter and jelly or make an Indian taco by adding refried beans, hamburger, grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, chopped onions and sour cream. Chili can be substituted for the beans and meat.
Fabulous Recipes and Uses FOR WOODENKNIFE INDIAN FRY BREAD MIX
WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix is mainly used in Indian tacos, which are gaining in popularity very rapidly as people are introduced to them. But it's such a versatile bread that we keep getting new ideas from people who have tried different ways to use our WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix. You may want to experiment also. If your idea is used in our next printing, you will receive a free box of WoodenKnife Indian Fry Bread Mix. We would also like to give your name credit and print it along with the recipe.
* Try adding other things (besides just water) when you mix up the dough. Fruit juices make a fruity bread.
You may also want to add raisins or bits of fruit. Add garlic, onions or Italian seasonings for fry bread sticks.
A yeasty flavored bread can be made by using beer. (The alcohol will be cooked away.)
Use creamed corn for "Corn Fritters". Add bits of salami, cheese or "whatever" to make delectable hors d'oeuvres.
Add bits of salami or cheese to make hors d'oeuvres. Use the regular dough (patted thin) to wrap around almost anything that's precooked. The dough cooks so quickly that any uncooked food wouldn't have a chance to get done. It's a perfect wrap for hot dogs. Leftovers become a yummy treat when wrapped and cooked in fry bread. Try vegetables, meats, or any combination you enjoy; however things that are very juicy may tend to leak.Be sure to have the fry bread dough rolled "pie crust thin", completely cover your chosen filling, and crimp the edges together. Either the dry mix or a thin batter makes a marvelous breading for chicken.
THEN THERE'S DESSERT:
A super fried pie is made by putting any fruit pie filling into a blanket of dough, crimp the edges tightly together and fry lightly on both sides. This is a treat you'll remember for a long time!
Top the Indian fry bread with ice cream and your favorite sundae topping: chocolate, strawberry, pineapple, etc. Add whipped cream and top with a cherry.
FRY BREAD DIRECTIONS
1/2 cup water 1 cup mix 4 servings
Just add water and stir thoroughly with a spoon. No kneading is required for this slightly sticky dough. After mixing let stand for at least 1/2 hour before use. Heat 1 inch or more of cooking oil to 375 degrees in frying pan or deep fryer. Place ready dough on floured board, cover dough with flour and roll to pancake thickness. Cut out size wanted, puncture in middle and place in hot oil. Cook until golden tan on each side, turning once.
LOW FAT FRY BREAD DIRECTIONS
Follow the regular mixing directions, except add one tablespoon more of water per cup of mix than the directions ask for. Spray a nonstick pan with your favorite cooking spray and pat the dough about 1/8 of an inch thick in the pan. Cover and cook over medium low heat until the bottom of the fry bread is golden brown, flip the fry bread over and cook until that side is golden brown. When done top the fry bread with all of your favorite toppings.
INDIAIN TACOS
The most popular use of Indian fry bread, Indian tacos are easy to make:
Lay the fry bread flat in a plate and cover with meat sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce,
tomatoes, and any variety of toppings. Some suggested finishes include onions, sour cream,
guacamole, black olives, and/or taco sauce.
Meat Sauce For Indian Tacos:
2 Lb Hamburger Meat 1 cup Tomato Sauce
16 oz Refried Beans 1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tbs.. Taco Seasoning 1 Tbs.. Chopped Onion
1 Tsp. Chili Powder 1 Tsp. Red Pepper
Put all ingredients in a large pot and boil for 45 minutes.
Vegetarian Indian Tacos
Prepare as above, but use 3 lb. of refried beans and omit the hamburger meat. This is a delicious
meat alternative enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
CINNAMON SUGAR FRY BREAD
After frying the bread, sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. This makes a great dessert item that tastes similar to a donut.
Fry Bread Big Draw of PowwowBy Travis Coleman Journal Staff Writer
WINNEBAGO, Neb. -- Cooks at the annual powwow here estimate that attendees could scarf down more than 20,000 pieces of fry bread during the celebration that runs through Sunday.
Why?
"Because fry bread creates happiness," said Damien Porter, an attendee at the powwow.
The snack was one of the draws Thursday for the 141st Homecoming Celebration at Veteran's Memorial Park. At 1 and 7 p.m. each day, there will be a Grand Entry followed by dance contests and other activities such as a snake dance, fish dance, sneak-up dance and tiny tots exhibitions.
But when these powwow singers and dancers want to take a lunch or dinner break, they're often looking for a dish that incorporates fry bread. Karen Hamilton keeps her recipe simple, using ordinary bread-making ingredients. She dabs some sugar into her bread mix, making the end product sweet and fluffy. While some put onions and peppers in their meat for Indian tacos, the Hamiltons use taco mix. Suzan Schoening from Lincoln, Neb., had her first bite of an Indian taco and said the Hamilton's sweet bread mixed with spicy salsa was excellent.
At least six stands served fry bread dishes Thursday. Each cook makes their bread differently, leaving attendees with several variations to choose from such as fry bread hot dogs, fry bread burgers and fry bread pretzels. But mostly, cooks just want their fry bread crispy and brown on the outside and soft on the inside.
"It's like your baby. You have to get it just right," said Pearl Morgan, another cook. "That's your money."
The oft-used dish comes from humble beginnings. During the onset of the reservation era in the 1800s, American Indians were rationed out items like flour, salt and lard, which they then used to make fry bread.
"Indians survived on that bread," Morgan said.
But now, when paired with ground beef, chili or beans, fry bread could pack more than 700 calories and 27 grams of fat. To some, that makes fry bread dangerous as American Indians are already two times more at risk to getting Type 2 Diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Education Program. In response, Morgan replaces flour with a thin and crispy wild turnip plant that's lower in calories. Powwow attendees can also steer towards the Whirling Thunder food stand, which serves an Indian taco using a tortilla and bison meat.
"We get a lot of business," said Mary Kelsey, the stand's manager. "We're the choice."
But if fry bread is so unhealthy, why do people flock to purchase a slice, as they did on Thursday?
"We all love things that aren't low calories," Haskell said. "It's a treat."
But because of health concerns, cooks stressed the high-calorie fry bread shouldn't be a daily meal for anybody.
"Like anything else, you just got to moderate it," said Lloyd Hamilton, Karen's husband.
That treat can mean big bucks at powwows. By the end of the weekend, Morgan hopes to have made around $8,000. Vendors could make a combined $90,000 by the end of the weekend, said Lloyd Hamilton. That makes competition for the eight vendor spots fierce but there is no selection process. When the call for cooks goes out around April, it's first come, first serve, Hamilton said.
During the powwow, competition among the stands can get competitive quick, Morgan said, especially when vendors start lowering their prices about 50 cents or $1. More often than not, though, everybody gets along fine, she said, because there's plenty of money to go around.
In fact, customers buy so much fry bread it leaves Morgan said it leaves her thinking, "aren't these Indians full yet?"
A Pow Wow Fry Bread Recipe
What you will need:
5 pounds of flour
2 packages of yeast
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 optional teaspoon salt
6 cups of warm water
Deep hot fat or oil in a frypan or fryer
What to do:
1 -- Sift dry ingredients, then stir in the water
2 -- Work the dough until smooth.
3 -- Separate into softball-size clumps and then shape them into a disk.
4 -- Set fryer temperature to about 375 degrees and fry on one side until golden, flip and repeat.
5 -- Place and dry on absorbent paper.