Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This is a classic Fried Dough recipe that can be made right at home with a few basic ingredient staples, like all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, unsalted butter, and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, and cinnamon. (no yeast, makes 8 servings)

Fried Dough

Hi Everyone, do you associate summer/warm weather with fried dough as I do?

Well, you're in the right place!

Did you know that Fried Dough is SO easy to make at home in your own kitchen?

What is fried dough?

Fried dough is not to be confused with its close cousin, the funnel cake which is popular in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States.

Fried dough is common in New England and it's a food that I grew up with.

It's common to see at county fairs (like the Topsfield Fair!), carnivals, and the beach (like the New Hampshire Lakes Region and Cape Cod!), and is often enjoyed in the summer at food trucks.

According to Wikipedia.com, Fried Dough is:

Fried dough is a North American food associated with outdoor food stands in carnivals, amusement parks, fairs, rodeos, and seaside resorts. 

"Fried dough" is the specific name for a particular variety of fried bread made of a yeast dough; see the accompanying images for an example of use on carnival-booth signs.

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers, and buñuelos (in the case of smaller pieces). 

These foods are virtually identical to each other and some yeast dough versions of beignets, and recognizably different from other fried dough foods such as doughnuts or fritters.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (241 grams) of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, chilled
• ¾ cup (170 grams) of lukewarm water

Kitchen Tools

Here are the kitchen tools for this recipe, and all the tools that we use (or similar) are linked (Amazon affiliate links) in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• measuring spoons and cups
• mixing bowl
• pastry blender
• large cast-iron skillet
• tongs
• wire cooling rack
• rimmed baking sheet (to insert wire cooling rack), not required, but helpful
• paper towels and a plate

How to make Fried Dough

I have included recipe process photos to help guide you through the process of making these cookies.

The full, printable recipe with instructions is at the bottom of the post.

Web Story

Recipe Attribution

Inspired by "County Fair Fried Dough" from King Arthur Flour

If you make this recipe and like it, please give it a rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

Thank you for reading and following along!

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Fried Dough

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This is a classic Fried Dough recipe that can be made right at home with a few basic ingredient staples.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups (241 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, chilled
• ¾ cup (170 grams) lukewarm water
• about 2 cups Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Use a pastry blender (or your clean fingertips) and work in the chilled unsalted butter.
2. Slowly stir in the lukewarm water, cover the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured pastry mat, using a dough scraper, divide it into 8 equal wedges. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll into a 5-inch, round, and ⅜ thick.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the Canola oil (about 2 cups for a 10″ skillet) to 375 degrees F.Using tongs, carefully add each dough disk to the hot oil. Cook it for 60 seconds. Each side should be golden, and light brown. Be careful not to cook them too long, so they do not become too crisp.
4. When each fried dough is done, place them on a paper towel-lined plate or wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Serve them topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Recommended Products

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• 
  OXO Good Grips Multi-purpose Stainless Steel Scraper & Chopper
• 
  Chef'n Pastrio 3-in-1 Bench Scraper Set , Red
• 
  Cuisinart CTG-00-DB Dough Blender
• 
  OXO Good Grips 15-Piece Everyday Kitchen Utensil Set
• 
  Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls by Finedine (Set of 6) Polished Mirror Finish Nesting Bowl, ¾ - 1.5-3 - 4-5 - 8 Quart - Cooking Supplies
• 
  Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Glass Measuring Cup
• 
  Homestia Gold Measuring Cups and Spoons Set Stainless Steel 8 PIECE for Dry and Liquid Ingredients Engraved Measurement Heavy Duty Baking & Cooking Utensils

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 507Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 51gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best. If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe!

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Did you make this recipe? If you share it on social media tag us @lifeslittlesweets and hashtag it #lifeslittlesweets - Thank you in advance!

• This recipe was originally shot on 5/26/2020 and published on 8/31/2021, 11/2/2022, 6/21/2024

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Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

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