Puff Puff (Deep-Fried Dough)
My beloved puff puff, a West African street food, is quick and easy with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addictive!
As a child, I often watched in amazement how the women selling the puffs would grab the mixture with the tip of their fingers, roll it in the palm of their hands, and drop it in oil.
I was fascinated by this process and would go home and practice this act with any mixture I had on hand. But it never came out as proportional or as visually appealing as it did for the women. After years of practice as an adult, I can proudly say I finally got the hang of it.
What Is Puff Puff?
People in most West African countries are familiar with the popular street food, known by different names depending on the country. For example, Ghanaians call it bofrot (togbei), Cameroonians and Nigerians call it puff puff, and it’s beignet in French. Basic ingredients are flour, sugar, yeast, water, salt, and oil for deep frying.
It’s easy and quick with various flavors. This recipe is the one I have been making for years and takes me back to my hometown. It brings back memories of happy late-night snacking on the street.
How to Make Puff Puff
- Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, and water to activate the yeast. Stir in the flour, cover, and let the dough rise.
- Heat the oil, drop in the dough balls, and fry until golden.
Tips and Tricks
- If the weather is cold and your dough isn’t rising, turn on the stove for 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the dough rise next to it. Or place your dough in the cold oven and put a pan full of hot water under it. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it’s rising.
- Use a spoon to scoop the dough into the oil if you don’t want to use your hands. It still tastes delicious!
- Avoid overcrowding the pan, as it will cool the oil too much and cause the fried dough to absorb excess oil.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Instructions
I love making the dough ahead for a quick snack. You can keep the raw dough in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to five days. It will rise in the cold fridge, but it may take a day or two. Then, bring the dough to room temperature and fry.
Keep leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for a month or two. Reheat them in a preheated 350℉ (177℃) oven for 5-10 minutes whenever the craving hits.
What to Serve With Puff Puff
This treat is relished for breakfast, as a snack, or as a side dish. A must-have for me is pepper sauce, but chocolate sauce and cinnamon sugar are fantastic.
Puff puff’s beauty is that you can eat them sweet or savory. I often eat it as a snack or appetizer. My son definitely loves it as a simple dessert with just a bit of powdered sugar. Ginger tea and sorrel drink are a great way to wash them down.
More Addictive Variations to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pGrRksuf” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Puff Puff” description=”Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!”]
This blog post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated with great tips and new pictures.
Puff Puff (Deep-Fried Dough)
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons (7g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ½-¾ cup (100-150g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (8-9g) salt
- 2 cups (472ml) warm water (+1-2 tablespoons for softer puffs)
- 3½ cups (420g) flour
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, and water, and set aside for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Cover and let it rise for 1-2 hours.
- In a large saucepan, heat at least 3 inches of vegetable oil (7-8cm) on low. Too little oil will result in flatter balls.
- Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If it is not hot enough, the batter stays at the bottom rather than rising to the top.
- When the oil is hot enough, grab bits of the mixture with your hands or use a spoon to get small balls of dough and drop them carefully into the oil.
- Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown. Turn the balls over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
- Use a large spoon or strainer to remove them from the oil. I usually place them on napkins immediately to soak up the excess oil.
- If desired, you can roll the finished product in cinnamon or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Tips & Notes:
- For softer puff puffs, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find the puff puffs a bit hard after they have cooled.
- Feel free to cut back on the salt; a teaspoon of salt will do.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
This works so well! Thank you for the recepie!
It is very good
reallly great recipee. i really love puff puff
Thank you so much! That makes my day.
We started making these 15 years ago when we welcomed our first son from Cameroon into our home. They are like the beignets he made at home. We love them and make them for Hanukkah too!
have you ever stuffed them, or make them bigger for stuffing? I’m thinking seafood or cream cheese
thank you
Donna
Hi Donna. I never have, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
My forever recipe
Awesome!!!
Made this recipe today. It was amazing. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn how to make the perfect puff puff.
Thank you so much for this recipe will try it. Your information is so simple to follow
Thank you Zion. Please let me know what you think after you try it. It’s one of my family’s favorite snacks.
I love and appreciate the steps
Every time I make this as a young girl who wants to be a chef before my mom gets home there is either none or few left
Hello! That’s such a sweet memory! Puff puff is so irresistible, I can see why there would be none or just a few left by the time your mom got home- Lol. It’s such a fun and delicious snack to make, especially for a future chef.
Enjoy!!!
I loved this recipe so much!
So glad you did :)!
I loved this recipe so much!
I cannot stop eating these and they were so simple to make! One of my favorite treats by far, and an amazingly easy recipe
I know exactly what you mean :)! Each time I make these my self control goes out the window! Glad you love it too, Josie!
Really good. Came out golden and amazing taste. Even better with powdered sugar, and, great if you use a syringe, and fill it with chocolate!!!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Keegan!
I loved this recipe so much! i will make use of it
Great ! Thanks so much
The great recipe. It really works well I like using the hand exactly the same technique we used at schlotzsky’s to make sourdough bread.I have a recipe I’ve been using since I was a kid. Mom inspired. Growing up in the sixties and seventies boredom wasn’t an option. We lighten the dough Adding milk or cream also if butter vanilla nutmeg and cinnamon. When we ran out of flour we use cake mix. Experiment it’s the spice of life.
Hi Will,
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the African Puff Puff recipe and that the hand technique reminded you of making sourdough bread at Schlotzsky’s! It’s amazing how certain techniques can transcend different types of cuisine.
Your mom-inspired recipe sounds absolutely delightful! Adding milk or cream, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon would certainly make for a rich and flavorful dough. And using cake mix when you ran out of flour? That’s culinary creativity at its finest!
You’re absolutely right—experimentation is indeed the spice of life, especially in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your experience and your own creative twists.
Keep cooking and keep experimenting! ️✨
I have used this recipe about 3 times or more now, and it’s a hit everytine
Thank you so much I love the way there’s a checklist too.
Thank you so much!
I have used this recipe about 3 times or more now, and it’s a hit everytine
Thank you so much I love the way there’s a checklist too.
Thank you so much, I am sure you would love all recipes once you try them. Keep loving:)
This is now our go-to recipe for puff puff! They taste so good and the recipe is so easy to follow! We have been introducing our friends and family to this Nigerian delight. They couldn’t get enough!
I loved this recipe so much! THANKS
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
I love this puff puff recipe, my mum tried it and it turned out nice. Its one of the best in the world.