Homemade Fried Semolina Bread

This is fried bread built for crunch. Semolina is the star, blended with a little bread flour, baking powder, and salt into a deliberately stiff dough, the kind you can roll thin without it springing back.

That stiffness is the whole point. A soft dough fries up chewy, but this firm semolina dough crisps into shatteringly light golden discs.

You roll it thin, cut it into three-inch rounds, then fry a couple at a time in hot oil, spooning the oil over the tops in a circular motion so they puff and color evenly on both sides.

A short rest under a damp cloth before rolling keeps the dough from drying out and cracking at the edges.

Drain them on paper towel and serve hot, when they’re at their crispest, alongside a vegetable curry for scooping and dipping.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the dough on the stiff side; too much water makes soft, chewy bread instead of crisp.
• Roll as thin as you can manage, close to 1/16 inch, for maximum crunch.
• Spoon hot oil over the tops as they fry so they crisp evenly without flipping too soon.
• Eat them fresh, since like most fried breads they soften as they sit.

Variations

• Scatter cumin, sesame, or nigella seeds onto the dough before frying.
• Add a pinch of chili powder or black pepper to the dough for a spiced cracker.
• Cut into smaller rounds for bite-size party crisps.