Fried Dough-  It has so many different names depending on the region of the world. Some call what I am sharing today an Elephant Ear, some regions refer to it as fry bread.  The Indian culture has a Bhatura bread that is similar to this that is used to dip in curry. The Najavo Indians use fry bread as a base for tacos. Whatever you decide to do with this fried dough- It will be delicious.

I went with the American fairground style and dusted cinnamon and sugar on top of mine. It took me a solid 48 hours of work to get this recipe to suite my fancy. I wanted it crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.  I’m really thrilled with the end result. Dusted with the cinnamon and sugar my husband commented that it almost had the flavor of deep fried french toast.

When it comes to fried dough and or donuts things can get finicky! I have developed a number of fried based recipes over the years and with each one I found that if I altered the recipe slightly I ended up with a problem. Therefore- today I’m going to say that I will be offering ZERO SUBSTTUTIONS aside from those I write directly in the recipe.  If you follow this site, you know how dedicated I am to making my recipes as flexible as possible.  But I’m terribly sorry- with this one you’re going to want to make it as is or move along to something else that works for you. I removed as many (common allergen ) ingredients as humanly possible.

Let me make one thing very clear, this recipe is NOT one I consider healthy. I used far more starch than I believe should be added to the baked goods eaten on a daily basis. Reserve this fried dough as an occasional treat. (If you have a nasty case of Candida this recipe is probably not the best choice for you!)

Fried Dough

• 5 Large Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Coconut Cream (or MimicCreme) Or Real Cream.
• 3 Tbs Whole Psyllium Husks (Do not use psyllium powder.)
• 1/4 Cup Oil or Melted Butter  dairy or nondairy (at room temperature)
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder (I used double acting)
• 1 packed cup Tapioca Starch.
• 1/2 packed cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Vinegar (any variety)
• Oil for deep frying. (To keep things healthier use Coconut or Grapeseed Oil.)

1. Set a can of full fat coconut milk into the fridge. Once chilled remove from the fridge and open. Scoop out the heavy cream portion from the top. Melt it briefly in the microwave or over the stove. Use only this portion of creamy milk for this fried dough. Set aside.
   
2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan- or wok pour several inches of oil for deep frying. Turn your heat on to the notch just below medium. (Note: your level of heat might be different from mine as each oven tends to be a little different- so I recommend using this heat level as a starting point.) Let the oil warm up while you prepare the dough.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) beat the eggs liberally for about 1 minute. Add the oil and coconut cream. Beat another minute. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the vinegar.  You should end up with a slightly wet tacky dough.
4. Use a spatula to stir in the vinegar.  Move quickly at this point as the longer the dough sits the less it will rise in the oil. (The Baking powder and Vinegar will start to react- its best to fry these right away for the best results)
5. Oil your hands and grab a handful of dough. Flatten it out between your palms so that it is roughly 1/4 inch thick. Carefully place into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes flipping over once or twice. You will know your oil temperature is perfect if it takes over a minute for both sides to become a nice dark golden brown color. If you dough instantly becomes dark golden in color turn down the temperature of your burner and let the oil cool a minute before placing your next piece in.  NOTE:  While you are frying if you notice your dough loses its wet tacky texture add another teaspoon of coconut cream. This slightly wet texture is what will allow the dough to expand and get fluffy while cooking. The psyllium starts to soak up moisture as the dough sits out- so keep an eye on this and add a little extra coconut cream as needed. 

Serve hot! This fried dough tastes best within a few hours of being made.

For those that cannot have sugar sprinkle some powdered stevia and cinnamon on top instead. 

In the future I plan to add chunks of fruit and potential various fillings to this dough prior to frying. Feel free to experiment with this and please come back and share your results!

xx

Brittany