Puff puff, a vegetarian recipe from Nigeria

Name: Puff puff
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Nigeria
Ingredients: 500 g plain wheat flour; 100 g sugar; 1 sachet dried yeast (7 g); 1 tsp grated nutmeg; ½ tsp salt; 350 ml warm water; 1 litre neutral oil, for frying; Icing sugar, to serve

Method

Stir the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar into 100 ml warm water. Wait 10 minutes for a foam to form.
Mix the flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.
Pour in the yeast mixture and the rest of the water. Beat by hand for 3 minutes. The batter is sticky and falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon.
Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour 30 minutes somewhere warm, until it doubles and the surface fills with bubbles.
Heat the oil to 170 °C in a deep pan. Any hotter and the outside browns before the centre cooks.
Take a handful of batter, close your fist and let a ball push out between thumb and forefinger. Drop it into the oil.
Fry 6 balls at a time for 5 minutes, turning halfway, until deep golden.
Drain on a rack and dust with icing sugar.

The batter stays looser than a European doughnut dough on purpose: that high hydration is what creates the open crumb and the thin crust. Without the fist technique, a wet ice cream scoop gives even balls.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

My batter looks too loose, should I add flour?

No, it should fall from the spoon in a thick ribbon: that high hydration is what creates the open crumb and the thin crust. Stiffening it with flour gives dense fritters closer to a European doughnut.

How can I shape the balls without the fist technique?

The traditional method is to squeeze your fist and let batter come out between thumb and forefinger. If that does not come naturally, a wetted ice-cream scoop gives even balls; re-wet it between scoops so the batter releases.

Why are my puff puff raw in the middle?

The oil was too hot. Above about 170C the outside browns before the heat reaches the centre. Set the temperature, fry only six at a time so it does not drop, and allow around five minutes, turning halfway.

Puff puff

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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