Nigerian Puff Puff
Photo: Afrolems ; cropped by Off-shell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Puff puff are Nigerian fried dough balls, soft and spongy inside with a thin golden crust. A little ground nutmeg in the dough gives them a warm, faintly spiced flavor that sets them apart from plain doughnuts. They are a fixture at Nigerian celebrations, and the dough is easy to handle: a simple yeasted batter, one rise, and a pot of hot oil. Serve them warm, straight from the sieve.
Instructions
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the nutmeg, instant yeast, sugar and salt until evenly mixed.
If you use fresh or active-dry yeast instead, first dissolve it in a little warm water with a pinch of sugar and wait until it turns foamy, then add it to the flour. Instant yeast goes straight into the dry mix.
Work the warm milk into the flour with your hands, a little at a time, until everything is combined. The dough should be smooth and thick enough that it does not pour.
Cover the bowl with plastic film and leave it for about 45 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size.
Pour oil into a deep pot to a depth of at least 3 inches and heat it over medium heat. Drop in a small piece of dough to test it: if it sizzles and floats to the surface, the oil is ready. If it sinks and stays there, wait longer.
Shape the dough into small balls and lower them into the oil in batches. Crowding the pot cools the oil and makes greasy puff puff.
Turn each ball once the underside is golden brown. If they keep rolling over on their own, swirl them gently in the oil until they are golden all over.
Lift the puff puff out when evenly golden and drain them in a sieve lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Make it personal.
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