Make Elephant Ears With Store-Bought Pizza Dough
Fried dough is a broad category. Donuts, elephant ears, funnel cake, and beignets fall into this particular basket, and while no two taste the same, they are always delicious. The simplest iteration of this carnival treat? Small balls of store-bought pizza dough, fried to golden perfection.
Fried pizza dough does not have the texture of a donut. It is chewy, thanks to the formation of gluten that occurs as a result of a lot of kneading, and it can be consumed in both sweet and savory directions. Dusted with powdered sugar, it is almost like a lazy zeppole ; when it’s doused with marinara and finished with shaker parma, it’s reminiscent of the “fried dough” my Italian-American boyfriend always refers to when talking about ” Celebration ” which also includes a statue of a saint marching through the city. (Dollar bills also count.)
Anyway. Frying pizza dough is fun and easy. All you have to do is break it into 1-inch portions and then roast it until golden brown for chewy, fluffy delicacies. How you finish them is up to you, but I’m actually a big fan of powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or any other kind of sugar.
Easy Fried Dough
Ingredients:
- Packet of store-bought pizza dough
- Vegetable oil (at least two inches in your favorite skillet)
- Powdered sugar for finishing
Add a couple inches of vegetable oil (or other neutral high-temperature oil) to a deep frying pan, pot, or roasting pan and heat until it registers somewhere between 325℉ and 350℉ on a candy thermometer or digital instant readout. thermometer. Try not to let the temperature rise much above 350℉, as this will cause the dough to brown on the outside before it is baked inside.
Break the pizza dough into 1-inch pieces, then fry for 3-5 minutes until they are deep golden brown, flipping once to get an even color on both sides. Scoop them out with a spatula or slotted spoon, let the excess oil drain on the wire rack for a few minutes, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Enjoy while it’s hot.