Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe--Navajo Fry Bread

The origin of Navajo fry bread (also known as bannock bread) lies in the history of Kit Carson, under the direction of the US government, capturing and confining the Navajo Indians to an internment camp.  After destroying their homes, farms, orchards, and irrigation canals, the Indians were restricted to the camps and provided with food from the US government.  Of course, there is a lot more to this story, and little of it flattering to Americans and the US government.  It's probably worth keeping in mind that the victors write the history, but in a lot of cases, the victors were perpetrating monstrous atrocities.

As the Indians were initially starving, they were given meager rancid rations from the government--food that they had no experience using.  Fry bread is what they came up with.  Generations of reservation-raised Indians adopted it as part of their culture and it became their comfort food.  It's definitely not heart-healthy, but it is tasty and it's all from long-term food storage ingredients. Here's the recipe for making your own.


Navajo Fry Bread
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 to 2 cups warm water
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add in the oil and 1 1/2 cups of water and stir until just combined.  Mix and knead by hand, adding in the remaining water as necessary to create a soft and slightly sticky dough.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 2 hours in a warm location.

Remove plastic wrap and pour melted coconut oil over the dough.  Knead for 2-3 minutes.  Divide dough into 12-16 pieces.  As with making regular tortillas, roll each into a ball, flatten slightly, and roll out with a rolling pin.

Put 1-2 inches of frying oil in a cast-iron skillet and heat to 325 degrees.  Fry bread until golden brown on both sides.  Cool a bit on a cake cooling rack or a paper towel.

Sweet bread:  While the bread is still warm, spread with butter, powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon.

Indian tacos:  Top with beans, hamburger, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.

Links to related posts:
Flour
Tortillas
Tortillas for Wraps and Cinnamon Crispas  

 6.19.20