Puff Puff
A loose, sticky yeasted batter left to ferment until bubbly, then squeezed by hand into soft, irregular rounds straight into hot oil, giving puff puff its characteristically fluffy, airy crumb. Strongly associated with Nigeria as its likely point of origin, it shares genuine heritage across West Africa under names like bofrot in Ghana and is related to East Africa's mandazi.
DessertVegan
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet (7g) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Steps
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk into a smooth, thick, sticky batter with no lumps.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled and bubbly.
- Heat oil to 175C/350F in a deep pot.
- Wet your hand, scoop a fistful of batter, and squeeze a golf-ball-sized portion out between your thumb and index finger directly into the hot oil.
- Fry in batches, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels, optionally dust with sugar, and serve warm.