Description
Puff Puff is a popular West African deep-fried dough ball, delicately sweet and soft on the inside with a golden, crispy exterior. This traditional snack is perfect for any occasion and easy to make with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, yeast, and water. Enjoy it plain or rolled in sugar for an extra sweet touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups (+1-2 tablespoons, 475ml) warm water
- 2¼ teaspoons (7g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 3½ cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- ½-¾ cup (100-150g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (8-9g) salt
- Vegetable oil for deep frying (enough to fill pot 3 inches deep)
Instructions
- Activate the Yeast: In a mixing bowl, combine the warm water, salt, sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make the Dough: Add the flour to the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly until you form a smooth, elastic batter. The consistency should be similar to a thick pancake batter that can be shaped into balls.
- Allow the Dough to Rise: Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm place to rise. This process should take about 1 to 2 hours, during which the dough will double in size and become airy.
- Prepare the Oil: Pour vegetable oil into a deep saucepan or pot so it is about 3 inches (5cm) deep. Heat the oil over low heat, ensuring it is hot but not smoking. Test the oil temperature by dropping a small drop of batter into it; if the batter rises quickly to the surface, the oil is ready for frying.
- Fry the Puff Puff: Using your hands or a spoon, pinch off small portions of the risen batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot to avoid sogginess.
- Cook Until Golden: Fry the dough balls for a few minutes on one side until golden brown, then turn them over to brown the other side evenly. Each batch should take about 3-5 minutes in total.
- Drain Excess Oil: Remove the fried puff puffs with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels or napkins to absorb excess oil.
- Optional Sweet Finish: If desired, roll the warm puff puffs in table sugar or powdered sugar to give them an extra sweet coating before serving.
Notes
- For a softer puff puff, add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of water to the dough.
- Do not overcrowd the frying pot to prevent puff puff from becoming soggy.
- If watching your salt intake, reduce salt to about 1 teaspoon.
- If your kitchen is cold, warm the environment by preheating the stove or placing the dough in a warm oven to help the dough rise properly.
- These nutritional values are estimates and can vary depending on the brands and exact quantities used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 puff puff (approx. 40g)
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
