Kirsten:
I think that what your friend is looking for is actually Pioneer Fried Bread Dough which we Americans call scones. Of course, the Indians made fried bread and still do, but the pioneers did as well. They are different from the English scones which are made with baking powder. Of course, authentic pioneer scones were made with baking powder or with sourdough because yeast was not something they carried with them on the plains. They became a big part of the western diet. The fried bread is sold all over the US today as scones. LHT's parents called them flapjacks which I always thought was another name for pancakes. If any of you have a better recipe, please send it to Kirsten post haste. Love, M
Fried Bread Dough (Fried Scones)
2 c. milk
4 tbsp. butter or cooking oil
6 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
4 pkgs. yeast
2 c. warm water
8 1/2 to 10 c. flour
Scald milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Let it cool until just warm. In a large mixing bowl, add water and dissolve yeast. Add milk mixture and flour; blend well; knead well until smooth and elastic. Put towel over the mixture and let it rise. After 15 minutes punch down and knead. Do this five times. Then pull a piece the size you want, stretch it (put a small hole in the center and the pieces will never be underdone) and deep fry until golden brown. Shake in mixture of sugar and cinnamon if desired or serve with butter and honey.
Pioneer Scones
Pioneers just made white bread dough, and after the first rising, divided out what wasn't needed for the bread pans. The pieces were flattened between the hands or with a rolling pin and fried in hot oil. They were eaten hot with real butter and homemade jam or honey. Sometimes they were served with stew, beans or soup for supper.
Aunt Luella's Ho Cakes.
A favorite was her fried bread dough, a byproduct of her almost daily bread making routine. She pounded out the dough with her hands, each cake round and flat. But they puffed up as they sizzled in the butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and were served golden brown and hot. A dollop of homemade butter and a slather of honey completed the dish.
Mule Ears or Elephant Ears
One recipe of a favorite regular white yeast bread recipe Use the recipe of your choice. Some prefer stone ground whole wheat. After making loaves, rolls or buns, roll out the left over dough about 1/4-inch thick. For Mule ears (the Democrats) cut long triangles and fry them, roll them in sugar and spice, enjoy with milk or hot chocolate. For elephant ears (the Republicans) cut the leftovers into squarish rounds and fry them, roll them in sugar and spice and call them Elephant ears. Fry both shapes as for doughnuts.
Busy Homemaker's Bread
2 pkg. Rapidrise Yeast (or 2 scant tbsp.)
2 1/4 c. water (120-130 degrees)
6-7 c. all-purpose flour (for whole wheat bread use 2 c. whole wheat flour
and 4 c. all-purpose white flour)
2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
Mix 5 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in large bowl. Stir oil and hot water into dry mixture. Mix well. Mix in enough reserved flour to make a stiff dough. Knead in bowl until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Round up dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Punch dough down. Divide dough in half and mold into loaves. Put in greased pans, cover with damp cloth. Let rise until sides of dough reaches the top of pans. Bake 45-50 minutes in 350-degree oven.
Make the following using the dough:
*Cloverleaf rolls: Roll into three small balls of dough baked in muffin tins.
*Monkey bread: Place small balls of dough, rolled in butter and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar or dry instant pudding mix. Bake in tube pan.
*Pull apart bread: Stand squared dough patties side by side in loaf pan.
*Braided loaf: Roll three thin strips of dough. Pinch three ends together and braid. Bake on cookie sheet.
*Fried dough: Stretch a small piece of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Drop in hot oil. Fry till golden brown. Top with favorite mixture.
*Dinner rolls: Roll or cut dough in small rolls. Place side by side in baking pan.
*Also can be used for pizza dough, raisin bread, cinnamon rolled loaf, crescent rolls.
Mix melted butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla. Dribble over hot bread. (Any flavoring can be substituted for vanilla). Mix brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nuts and raisins. Dribble over hot bread. Sprinkle any choice with cinnamon and sugar while still hot or use butter and honey.
Zeppoli (Italian Fried Bread Dough)
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1-cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-quart vegetable oil (for frying)
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Heat about 3 inches of oil in a saucepan to 375°F (119°C). In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2-cup warm water; set aside for 10 minutes. Stir the remaining 1/2-cup water into the bowl. Add flour, beating vigorously until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a smooth surface, and knead with greased hands until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 to 1/1/2 hours. Fry golf ball sizes of dough in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and eat while still hot. Makes 12 servings that take 30 min 15 min
prep.
Indian Fry Bread
3 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3-cup milk
1-cup cold water
Corn oil (for frying)
In a bowl, mix sugar and milk. Add flour. Gradually stir in the water until the flour is moistened and the dough forms. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface; knead until dough is well mixed. Roll to a 10-inch square and about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 12 rectangles. In a deep saucepan, heat some oil at 375 F. and fry the dough 2-3 minutes or until medium brown. Turn often as you are frying. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Indian Yeast Fry Bread
1 package yeast
2 Tbsp of sugar
5 cups of flour or bluebird flour
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of warm water
Warm 1/2 cup water in microwave for 5 or 10 seconds. Pour warm water into a bowl and sprinkle all of yeast package until it is dissolved. Stir 2 Tbsp sugar. Add salt. Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and stir. Sprinkle some salt in it.
Stir and stir and stir it. Put another 2 1/2 cups of flour in and stir some more. Pour 1 1/2 cup of warm water and stir it. Stir it until it is thick. Then make a dough; cut it half and pat it with some flour while making a shape of ball out of it. When you are done making a smooth ball out of dough, let it sit and rise. It will rise within minutes. You can knead it flat and round like a pizza whenever you are ready to fry it. Put vegetable
or canola oil in fry pan. When the oil is finally boiling, put a round flat piece of dough in it and let it float on it. Don't fry it too long if you want a soft golden fry bread. Have a plate covered with paper towel so you can put a golden bread on it and let the grease fall through. This is good for strawberries and whipped cream or honey or powdered sugar or ground beef with onions or even spicy chunks of Navajo mutton lamb! And enjoy it.
BUTTERMILK POTATO SCONES
2 c. warm buttermilk
1/2 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. cooking oil
1/3 c. sugar
1 tbsp. yeast in 1/4-cup warm water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
6 c. flour
Mix first four ingredients together. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it set until it begins to work. Mix yeast into liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix all together and knead for 15 minutes. The dough will not be smooth. Let the dough rise until double in bulk. Knead down dough. Let rise until light. Cut off in 2-inch squares and fry in hot oil. Top with butter and honey, if desired.
SOUR CREAM GRIDDLE SCONES
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Butter or margarine
1 cup Plus 2 tbsp. sour cream
Vegetable shortening -- for greasing
Butter/margarine -- to serve
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl; then cut in the butter until the mixture resembles very fine bread crumbs. Using a fork, mix in enough sour cream to make a soft dough. Divide the dough in half. Using lightly floured hands, turn out the dough onto a well floured surface and then knead lightly until smooth. (The dough is soft so handle it gently. Do not let griddle get to hot, or scones will burn on the outside before being cooked on the inside). Carefully shape the dough into 2 rounds, each 1/2 inch thick. Cut each roung into 6 equal wedges. Lightly grease a heavy skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat. Pour away any
excess shortening, then cook the scones in batches for abour 4-5 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and cooked through. Regrease the skillet as necessary. Cool the scones on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve them the same day, spread generously with butter.
Classic Sourdough Bread
1 cup "fed" sourdough stater
1 1/2 cups warm water
5 to 6 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
Cornmeal to sprinkle on the pans
The Sponge: Scoop 1 cup of stater into a large ceramic mixing bowl. Add the warm water and 3 cups of the flour. Beat vigorously. Cover this Sponge with plasric wrap and put it aside to work. This period can be very flexible, but allow at least 2 hours, and up to 8 hours. A longer period (at a lower temperature) will result in a more Sour flavor. The dough: When the sponge has bubbled and expanded, blend in the salt, sugar (if using) and remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix until the dough comes together then turn it out onto a floured board and knead it for 3 to 4 minutes. Give it a rest while you clean and grease the bowl. Continue kneading for another 3 to 4 minutes, adding extra flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic. Add only enough extra flour to keep dough from sticking. Place the dough in the bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). Shaping and Baking: Turn the dough out, knead briefly then divide in 2 halves. Shape halves into 2 loaves, cover and let them rise until doubled (this can take up to 2 hours). Slash the tops and place on a lightly greased, cornmeal sprinkled baklng sheet. Bake in a preheated 450°F oven for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown. Sourdough breads sometimes don't brown well. To promote browning, bnish loaves with vegetable oil about 10 minutes before the end of the baking time. Fried scones can be made using this recipe. Just stop at the loaf-shaping stage and, instead, roll the dough flat on a floured board to a thickness of !/4-inch. Cut into squares and fry until golden brown.
Kirsten wrote: So which of these is the one you most often made?
Todd wrote: You know what we use for scones? We take Dad's French bread recipe, we add one egg to it (to crisp the outside of the fried scone) and then fry it instead of baking it. I have people asking me for the recipe all the time. The neighbors love them as well.
Kirsten wrote: Thanks! Good to know! Assuming you add the egg after proofing yeast and before mixing in dry?
Todd wrote: When you turn on the mixer and start pouring in the yeast/water/sugar, drop an egg in as well. Try shelling it first.
Shawn wrote: But if you don't leave in the shell, that reduces the surprise crunch and the available calcium. It's kind of like when you first teach your kids to make scrambled eggs, and you get to an extra crunchy spot and think, "I guess I needed some more calcium today--at least it was cooked". Of course, the whole thought of it would make me rather quote Dad and say "No thanks, I just ate a bar of soap." So I will follow your suggestion and leave the shell out. As usual, Todd you are right.
Myrna wrote: I most often make the first one on the list or Dad's French Bread recipe. I like the easy ones. Love, M
