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.
It came out nice, thanks. I’ve actually used it three times.
I love this recipe. My puff puff seemed a little under done inside. Maybe my oil was too hot?
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Hi, Chichi. You can follow check me on IG at @immaculatebites. Happy New Year!
Quick question:
I’ve used the recipe with instant active yeast and it comes out amazing. Do you think regular active yeast would be just fine? Which kind do you use or does the recipe call for?
Thanks!
hi! i used traditional active yeast. turned out delicious and fluffy!!
Yes that works too. Love it. Thank you so much!
This recipe is amazing!! I’ve been making puffs puffs these past few months and everyone absolutely loves them! My husband & I have become addicts and trying to limit how often with make them. Thanks Again for this amazing recipe!
This recipe is amazing!! I’ve been making puffs puffs these past few months and everyone absolutely loves them! My husband & I have become addicts and trying to limit how often with make them. Thanks Again for this amazing recipe!
I’m soooo glad to hear that! They are certainly a fan favorite in my household as well 🙂
Great recipe! Added as cinnamon and it was definitely fabulous. Wasn’t strong. I liked the texture to it. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome.Thanks for sharing !!!
I always use your recipe to make puff puff so that once I type “how to” it completes it with “make puff puff”. Thank you so much for sharing. We enjoy it a lot.
Hi, what type of flour did you use?
I used regular flour.
Can I get recipe for a smaller batch
You can easily do that by dividing the recipe in half.
Thank you for taking the time to share this recipe. First time and my puff puffs came out amazing.
Thanks for the information. will try for my family.
Please, a cup of flour is how many grams.
Hi. That’s 125g. of flour
I find the tips interesting. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
I tried your puff puff recipe today and it was superb. I substituted 2cups water with 2cups low fat milk + 1/2cup water. Made the exterior crunchier and the inside remained super soft and delicious. Your recipes are ever sure. I think there is something about proofing the yeast in the warm water(milk) and sugar, salt solution as against my usual way of putting it in the flour. I am a big fan of yours❤️❤️
I tried the recipe today and came out nice. Best puff puff I’ve ever made. Thanks
hi ,I tried frying puff today it fall .I added only my yeast inside lookwarm water.then I added d dried ingredients together I kip it outside for about an hour cos d weather is cold my kitchen is cold pls I need correction on dis ma
Hi Mary,
Make sure your yeast is active ( not stale) . It might be the problem.
I always have the same problem. I keep buying fresh yeast but mine never rises. However I use natural sweetener (erithritol), could that be the problem
If I may, I think it might be. I tried making puffpuff with xylitol and it’came out drier and harder. So instead, I use minimal sugar in the puffpuff mix and then sprinkle with xylitol
Hello, Imma the puff puff was yummy as my daughter usually say when she likes it. They were just eating it until my husband had to keep it in the fridge for them not to see. Thanks again for the recipe, I really enjoyed it. Posted it on my status in WhatsApp until I had to share your recipe because of the color and share.
Good day
Please my puff inside is soft but the skin or outside is hard. This has happened twice an you advise me on what ty do
Thanks
Hello Kimberly. Add about 3 tablespoons of water to soften the dough. Let me know how this turns out!
Try reducing the heat for frying
I am definitely going to try these! Reminds me of fatballs that I used to get at the fair. They would slice them just enough to add a filling like fruit or puddingg. Yummy! Also, I use a heating pad when its cold to help rise my bread. It works really well.
This recipe is perfection!!!! Not too sweet, dense but just light enough. I fried mine with medium high heat and used the spoon method for scooping. Can’t use my hands.
Perfection, welldone sis!
2 1/4 teaspoon of yeast is = 2 + 1/4 teaspoon of yeast ?
Yes, it’s 2 and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast which is also equal to 1 packet of yeast.
pls add me on your whatsapp
Point of correction. Buff loave or bofloat is completely different from toogbeh or doughnuts or puff puff. Bofloat is much lighter and the preparation is similar to bread making. It floats on the oil like a small football and has to be turned constantly to fry evenly.
These look like a great quick and easy sweet snack to make. I’ve been wanting to make donuts or something like donuts for a while, and this recipe looks like the perfect thing to try. I love how simple the recipe is. Can’t wait to give these a try.
My every Saturday breakfast. You are just great in this food line. Kudos sis, tried a couple of ur recipes and it came out beautifully.