Oakland's Native American frybread runs through Crystal Wahpepah's kitchen in Fruitvale. Bison and squash on a fried dough that traces to forced relocation.

Frybread originated with the Navajo, Apache and other tribes forced onto reservations in the 1860s. Government rations of flour, lard and salt produced the fried dough that became Native American comfort food. Crystal Wahpepah, an Oakland-raised Kickapoo tribal member and the first Native chef on Food Network's Chopped, opened Wahpepah's Kitchen in 2021 and was nominated for a James Beard award.

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Make it at home

Serves 81 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 500g all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp powdered milk
  • 375ml warm water
  • Neutral oil for frying (about 500ml)

Method

  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and powdered milk in a large bowl.
  2. Add warm water and stir until a soft dough forms. Knead briefly, just until smooth.
  3. Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
  4. Divide into 8 portions. Roll each into a 15cm round about 1cm thick.
  5. Heat oil to 175 C in a deep pan. Fry each round 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and puffed.
  6. Drain on paper towels. Top with bison taco filling, squash or honey for a sweet version.

Editor tip. Frybread should be golden, not dark. Test the oil with a scrap of dough before frying the rounds.