Navajo Fry Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups vegetable oil or shortening, for frying
• 1/2 cup honey, for serving
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for serving

Before you cook

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and dry milk powder together in a large bowl.
• Set a wire rack over a sheet pan for draining.
• Dust a work surface lightly with flour.

Steps

1. Pour the warm water into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead the dough in the bowl for 2 minutes, just until it comes together and no dry flour remains.
3. Cover the bowl with a towel and rest the dough for 30 minutes so it relaxes.
4. Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet to 350 degrees F, about 1 1/2 inches deep.
5. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball.
6. Flatten one ball with your palms and stretch it into a 7-inch round, thinner in the middle than at the rim.
7. Poke a small hole through the center of the round so it fries flat instead of ballooning to one side.
8. Lay the round carefully into the oil away from you.
9. Fry for 60 seconds, spooning hot oil over the top, until the underside is deep gold and the surface puffs.
10. Turn the bread and fry 45 seconds more.
11. Drain the fry bread on the rack and repeat with the remaining dough.
12. Serve the fry bread hot, drizzled with honey and dusted with powdered sugar.