Pillowy, lightly sweet fried dough balls with a golden crust and airy interior, the Ghanaian teatime snack known as bofrot or puff-puff.
Bofrot, known in neighboring countries as puff-puff, is a simple yeasted dough of flour, sugar, yeast and a touch of nutmeg, left to rise until airy and bubbly before being spooned into hot oil in rough, uneven balls. The irregular shape is part of the charm: no two pieces are exactly alike, and the craggy surface fries up into a satisfying mix of crisp ridges and soft, pillowy interior. Getting the batter right is the main skill involved — it needs to be loose enough to spoon easily but thick enough to hold its shape once it hits the oil, and it must be allowed a full, unhurried rise so the yeast can do its work and the finished bofrot turns out light rather than dense and doughy. A pinch of nutmeg in the batter is a distinctly Ghanaian touch that sets it apart from some other regional versions of fried dough. Sold hot from roadside stands wrapped in newspaper or paper bags, bofrot is a classic Ghanaian breakfast and teatime snack, best eaten within an hour of frying while the crust is still crisp and the inside is warm and soft.
Serves 6
Whisk flour, sugar, yeast, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add warm water, mixing until you have a thick, smooth, elastic batter, closer to a thick pancake batter than a firm dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours until doubled, bubbly and visibly airy.
The batter is ready when it's full of visible bubbles and pulls in stretchy strands when you dip a spoon in — that's the sign the yeast has done its work.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 170°C (340°F). Test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise to the surface within a few seconds.
Scoop rough tablespoon-sized portions of batter with a wet spoon and drop into the hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden-brown all over.
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm.
Keep a bowl of water nearby to wet your spoon or hand between scoops — it stops the sticky batter from clinging.
Fry at a steady 170°C (340°F); too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks, too cool and the bofrot absorbs excess oil.
Give the batter its full rise time — a short rise produces dense, heavy bofrot instead of the classic airy texture.
Add a mashed ripe banana to the batter for natural sweetness and a softer crumb.
Spiced version: add a pinch of ground ginger alongside the nutmeg for extra warmth.
Roll the fried bofrot in cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar for a different finish.
Bofrot is best eaten within a few hours of frying while the crust is crisp; store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day and warm briefly in a dry pan or oven to refresh the texture.
Bofrot, also called puff-puff in Nigeria and togbei in parts of Togo, is a fried dough snack found across West Africa, believed to share roots with similar fritters brought through historical trade routes and long adapted into distinct national versions.
The batter likely didn't rise long enough — give it the full hour to hour and a half in a warm spot until it's visibly doubled and full of bubbles before frying.
You can refrigerate the risen batter overnight; let it come back to room temperature and give it a stir before frying the next day.
The oil is likely too hot — lower it slightly to around 165 to 170°C (330 to 340°F) so the inside has time to cook through before the outside over-browns.
Per serving (90g / 3.2 oz) · 6 servings total
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