Fried Dough - Immaculate Bites

Fried dough delivers crispy, buttery, and airy fried treats in the comfort of your home. And they taste even better than your favorite from the county fair. This heart-melting bread makes every bite perfect with a sprinkle of sugar. The best part? They take less than 20 minutes to make.

This ultimate comfort food recipe takes me on a trip down memory lane. Reminiscing about good times with my family at the carnivals and county fairs feels good. I always looked forward to fried dough because its crunchy exterior and addictive airiness are oh-so-good!

But now I can bring the fair’s deliciousness to my house with my new yummy fried dough recipe. Nothing beats this melt-in-your-mouth decadence. You have to try it to believe it!

What Is It?

Fried dough is an international comfort food. Plus, it’s super fast and easy and crazy delicious. Some people enjoy elephant ears, sopapillas, or bunuelos, depending on where you live. But this epic recipe gives you almost instant gratification anywhere you are.

How to Make Fried Dough

Make the Dough

1. Dry Ingredients – Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. (Photos 1-2)
2. Wet Ingredients – Add melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix and then transfer to a board and knead with your hands for 5 minutes. (Photos 3-4)
3. Rest – Divide into 10 pieces and let them rest for 10 minutes. (Photos 5-6)
4. Flatten – Roll out each piece to about ½ inch thick after resting. (Photos 7-8)

Frying

1. Preheat – Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep pan to 375°F/190℃ over medium heat.
2. Fry – Carefully lower the rolled dough into the pan, and fry it in batches without overcrowding the pan. (Photos 9-10)
3. Flip – Let it cook for about a minute, then flip it over and cook the other side for another minute.
4. Sprinkle – Top with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Air-Fryer Version – Enjoy the same delicious treat guilt-free. Spray your dough disks with cooking oil, heat your air fryer to 350℉ (177℃), and put as many as you can without crowding them because they’ll puff up (two might fit at a time). They should be ready to enjoy in about 5 minutes.
• Gluten-Free – Your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with an extra spoonful of tapioca starch will get close.
• Toppings – In some countries, they drizzle their fried bread with honey, maple syrup, and light molasses. Yum!

Tips and Tricks

• Brush your fried dough with extra melted butter before sprinkling it with cinnamon sugar so the sugar sticks better.
• You can get comfort food even faster by using premade biscuits, croissants, or pizza dough. Just roll it out into serving-size disks and fry.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Making this county fair delicacy in advance is easy, especially if you plan to serve a crowd. Make the dough as instructed and tightly wrap it with a cling wrap or store it in an airtight container. You can then refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Shape and fry when ready to serve.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for two days at room temperature or a week in the fridge. You can also freeze it for 3 months. 

To reheat, you can use a preheated oven or crisp it up again in a skillet for a few minutes. Serve it as an appetizer or entrée before a cozy main dish or a snack.

FAQs

What to Serve With Fried Dough

To complete the country fair experience, enjoy these goodies with Southern sweet tea, a chai tea latte, or a cup of coffee.

More Delicious Fried Snacks Recipes to Try

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in April 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.