Polish Fry Bread Recipes

KROKIETY RECIPE (POLISH CROQUETTES)

Steps:

• Drain the sauerkraut (drained sauerkraut should weight 1 lb (450g)), combine in a medium pot with dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and allspice berries. Add water, enough to cover the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Cook, partially covered, over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the sauerkraut is soft.
• Dice the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a big frying pan. Cook the chopped onion with caraway for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft and translucent. Add marjoram, cook for another minute, transfer to a plate.
• Wash the cremini mushrooms and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch (½ cm) slices. Increase the heat to high, add another tablespoon of oil and chopped mushrooms. Don't stir for the first 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned at the bottom, then stir and cook until the mushrooms release water. Cook until it evaporates, stirring from time to time, then cook until nicely browned, transfer to a plate.
• Drain the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms. You can reserve the liquid, it can be used to enhance the flavor of many soups, including Polish Christmas Eve Beet Soup. Discard bay leaves and allspice.
• To chop the filling, you can use a food processor or just chop it with a big knife on a chopping board.
• Add the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms, pan-fried cremini mushrooms, and sauteed onions to the food processor bowl. Pulse several times to chop finely (but not to a paste consistency). Season the filling with salt and pepper, to taste.
• You can also add finely chopped prunes to the filling. It's important to chop them with a knife by hand and not process in the food processor with the rest of the filling (or it will come out too sweet).
• Prepare the crepe batter: Simply mix all the ingredients, season the batter with salt and pepper. You can do that with a blender, hand mixer, an immersion blender, food processor, or even by hand (with a whisk). I prefer to mix the batter with a blender - it's the quickest way to mix the ingredients and the batter is more smooth. If you'll whisk the batter by hand it will have small lumps, but this is also ok and your crepes will be fine.
• Leave the batter to rest: Cover the bowl with plastic foil or a kitchen cloth and leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes.
• Cook the crepes: Brush the pan with a small amount of butter (I'm only adding the butter before the first crepe, but you can brush the pan with butter between each crepe if you wish) over high heat. The pan should be well heated. Holding the pan in one hand (it shouldn't be on the burner) and the bowl or blender jar in the other, pour in a small amount of batter, tilting and swirling the pan simultaneously until the batter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Place the pan on the burner and cook for about 15-30 seconds.
• When the edges of the crepe look dry and lacy and its bottom is golden brown, it's ready to be turned over.
• Slide the spatula under the crepe (make sure it doesn't stick to the pan), loosen its edges, and flip it over.
• Cook on the other side just briefly, for about 10 seconds, until set. Transfer on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Place about 2 heaped tablespoons of filling on each crepe. Fold it like you would fold a burrito: fold sides into the middle and then roll up the bottom tightly to the top. Some people spread the filling all over the crepe, leaving some border, and then fold them up. It's important to fold them tightly - they will be easier to fry.
• Dip each croquette in beaten eggs then roll them in breadcrumbs until coated on all sides.
• If you have some leftover egg and breadcrumbs you can double-coat the croquettes (dip them again in beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs). The breading will be thicker and even more crispy!
• Heat clarified butter or vegetable frying oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the croquettes until golden brown on all sides (in batches). Change the oil if it gets too brown from the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.
• Serve with barszcz (Borscht) and enjoy!

FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk and water, stirring with a fork until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead a few times with floured hands just until smooth (do not overwork or bread will be tough). Return to bowl and cover with a kitchen towel; let stand 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 inch of oil to 365 degrees over medium-high in a heavy pot or deep-sided skillet. Pinch an egg-sized piece of dough with your fingers and flatten to an approximate 6-inch round (keep remaining dough covered and dust hands with flour if dough sticks). Cut a small slit in center of round with the tip of a knife (this will ensure the bread cooks evenly). Carefully lower into oil and fry, turning once, until puffed in places and golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining dough (return oil to 365 degrees between batches). Serve warm or at room temperature with butter, honey, jam, and confectioner's sugar.

INDIAN FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in cold water and vegetable oil until dough comes together into a ball.
• Set dough on a floured surface. Pinch off ten pieces the size of golf balls, roll into balls, and flatten each into a round. Make a small hole in the center of each round.
• Fill a deep skillet with oil to 3/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Add dough rounds in batches and fry until golden brown, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels.

NATIVE AMERICAN FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a deep, 10-inch cast-iron skillet or heavy saucepan, heat about 1 inch of oil to 350 F. If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer to attach to the pan, dip the handle end of a wooden spoon in the oil. The oil should bubble around it fairly steadily when it's ready. The popcorn method is another option: Place a kernel of popcorn in the oil, and it will pop when the oil reaches 350 to 360 F.
• Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix well to blend.
• Add the milk and stir until the dough holds together.
• Knead 3 or 4 times on a floured surface.
• Divide the dough into 4 uniform pieces and shape each into a ball.
• Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into a circle that's about 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Make a depression in the center of each round of dough (it will puff up while frying).
• Carefully slide 1 or 2 pieces of dough into the hot oil. Fry for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
• Remove the fried dough to paper towels to drain.

HUNGARIAN FRIED LáNGOS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the freshly mashed warm potato alongside the yeast, sugar, flour, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and milk in a big mixing bowl or stand mixer.
• Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients until they are well moistened. If mixing by hand, start the process by mixing with a wooden spoon.
• Switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If mixing by hand, give yourself an extra 5 minutes of working the dough, until it's smooth and not sticking to your hands.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place it on a lightly floured board. Cover and let rest another 20 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat an inch of canola oil to 350 F.
• Flatten and stretch each dough ball to a disc 8 inches in diameter. Make 1 or more slits in the center of the stretched dough with a sharp knife. The slits are traditional but also keep the dough from puffing up in the middle.
• Fry one lángos at a time for about 2 minutes per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, rubbed with a cut garlic clove and sprinkled with salt to taste.

FAMILY FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
• Whisk water and butter together in a separate bowl; pour into flour mixture and stir until mixture comes together to form a ball and is slightly sticky and elastic. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in 1/4 cup flour, if necessary. Shape into 10 balls.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll each dough ball out on a lightly floured surface into an 8-inch round.
• Place each round into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove fry bread to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough rounds.

POLISH FRY BREAD

Steps:

• Scrub the potato clean, then boil it in the water.
• Remove the potato from the water to cool.
• Reserve the water.
• Peel the potato and discard the skin (or use for something else).
• In a small bowl, combine the yeast, milk, and sugar. Set it aside until it is bubbly.
• If the yeast mixture does not get bubbly, your yeast is dead. Get some fresh yeast, make sure your milk is not too warm, and try again.
• Now, mash the potato and measure out 1 cup. Use the remaining mashed potato elsewhere.
• Combine 4 c flour with the softened butter, then add the salt and 1 c mashed potato. Taste it and adjust the salt as needed.
• Add the eggs and bubbly yeast mixture.
• Using only as much potato water as needed, create a dough.
• Set the dough aside in a warm place, covered with a damp towel for maybe an hour and ½ , to rise until doubled in size.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is ½ in thick.
• Do not work the dough any more than necessary.
• Cut out 3 in circles.
• Set the circles aside to rise again.
• Heat the oil until very, very hot.
• Take the dough circles and stretch them out. Three inch circles should make about six inch breads.
• Fry the breads until they are golden, turning them to get both sides done.
• Dust the tops of the breads with garlic salt.
• Enjoy!