Funnel Cake Fries & Marshmallow Dip | Homemade Fried Dough Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between fried dough and funnel cake? ›

Fried dough is made with a bread dough that uses yeast for leavening. Funnel cake has a more pancake-like batter, which is much thinner than bread dough, and it uses baking powder as leavening rather than yeast.

Consistency is key

It's important to keep to a frying temperature of around 375 degrees. Any higher than that, and your funnel cakes will brown before cooking through. At too low a temperature, the batter will absorb excess oil, resulting in a greasy, limp funnel cake.

You only need a few ingredients, like flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, baking powder, and vanilla. You probably already have everything on hand right now! :) BUT you can also totally use a funnel cake mix too!

Fry bread is bubbly and chewy—sort of like pizza dough or puffy pita bread—while funnel cake is bumpy and takes on a layered shape, like a bundle of yarn. Both funnel cake and Indian fry bread make appearances at state fairs and carnivals.

It is then kneaded and allowed to rise before being shaped into a pizza and baked. Fried dough, on the other hand, is typically made with flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. It is then mixed with water or milk and fried in hot oil until golden brown.

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, beaver tails, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers, and buñuelos (in the case of smaller pieces).

Top tips for making a funnel cake:

Keeping the oil temperature steady at 375° is important if you want your funnel cakes golden and crunchy. — Use a neutral oil for frying these funnel cakes—vegetable oil is a classic pick for us, and what we use here.

Not only are funnel cakes – and the likes – incredibly high in calories, but they can also ruin your smile in the same fashion as cotton candy. The sticky sugar can find its way into hard to reach crevices in your teeth.

I suspect the reason you notice a decidedly flour-y taste is because you aren't adding salt, or not using enough salt. Yes, even sweet baked goods need salt! Another thing you can use to counteract the raw, flour taste is to add flavorings to the batter or dough.

In the U.S., funnel cakes were originally associated with Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It is one of the first North American fried foods, which is associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, German immigrants who came to Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries.

How do you store funnel cake fries? ›

How to Store. Funnel cake fries are best served immediately while they are hot and fresh. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in an air fryer at 400 F for 3 to 5 minutes or in a 400 F oven until crisp.

Funnel cake traces its origins to the Pennsylvania Germans. However, similar dishes date back centuries in the Middle East and Europe and today include Striebele in Germany and tippaleipa in Finland.

Inspired by the fry bread of Native Americans, elephant ears get their name from their big, “ear”-like shape.

Funnel cakes are a pretty bog-standard fried dough. If you've had beignets, it's pretty much the same thing, only in a different shape, or perhaps churros but with powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar.

The difference between batter and dough is batters are thin and contain eggs, and doughs are thick and don't have to contain eggs. Because of their different consistencies and ingredients, you will mix and prepare batters and doughs differently.

Funnel cakes are drizzled into hot oil, while beignets and cut and portioned like dumplings. And they're both topped with powdered sugar. So he's probably onto something here. But New Orleanians take their cuisine seriously.

Youtiao is like China's version of churros, without all the sugar. China's version of fried dough is called youtiao, also known as Chinese crullers, and they are a breakfast favorite. The fried treats are usually served with porridge, soy milk, scallion pancakes, or steamed sticky rice.