Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!
As a child, I would often watch in amazement how the women selling the puffs would grab the mixture with the tip of their fingers, place it in the palm of their hands, and drop the mixture in oil.
I was fascinated by this process and would go home and practice this act with any mixture I had on hand. But it never came out as proportional or as visually appealing as the women did it. After years of practice as an adult, I think I can proudly say that I finally got the hang of it.
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Puff Puff?
Most West African countries are familiar with the popular street food Puff-Puff, which is known by different names depending on the country. Ghanaians call it Bofrot (togbei), and Cameroonians and Nigerians call it Puff-Puff (Puff) or beignet in French. The basic ingredient consists of flour, sugar, yeast, water, salt, and oil for deep frying.
It is an easy and quick recipe to make with different variations. This recipe is the one I have been making for years and the one that takes me back to my hometown. It brings back memories of late-night snacking on the street.
Recipe Ingredients
Trust me when I say that cooking these puff puffs is as mesmerizing as it is tasty. The best part about this treat is that it only needs a handful of ingredients. You might already have these in your pantry:
- Flour – This pantry must-have isn’t just for baking. It’s also great for many savory dishes.
- Yeast – This is basically the life of the recipe as it makes the dough rise for an airy, fluffy texture.
- Warm Water – An essential part of making any dough. It’s the basis for forming our treat. It’s important to have just the right warmth. If the water is too hot, it kills the yeast. If too cold, the yeast has a hard time rising.
- Sugar – Common table sugar you can easily find in any grocery store gives this recipe a slight sweetness and feeds the yeast for a good rise.
- Cooking Oil – The necessary ingredient for deep frying the puff puffs.
How to Make Puff Puff
- Activate the yeast: Mix salt, water, sugar, and yeast. Set it aside for 5 minutes (Photo 1)
- Make the dough: Add flour and mix (Photo 2)
- Rest and Rise: Let the mixture rise for approximately 1-2 hours (Photos 3-5)
- Pre-heat the oil: In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil into a pot until it’s about 3 inches (or 5 centimeters ) high (too little will result into flatter balls), and place in low heat
- Check the heat: Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will stay at the bottom instead of rising to the top.
- Fry the puff puff:
- Hand Method: Using your hands, grab a little bit of mixture at a time and drop it into the oil. (See photo 6)
- Spoon Method: When the oil is hot enough, use a spoon to dish up the batter and another spoon or spatula to drop it in the oil. Sort of in the shape of a ball.
- Check the doneness: Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown (Photo 7)
- Flip the puff puff: Turn the ball over for a few minutes until the underside is golden brown. (Photo 8)
- Remove from oil: Use a large spoon or a slotted spoon to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins right away to soak up some of the excess oil.
- Coat the puff puff: If desired, you can roll up the finished products in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Serving Suggestions
Puff-puff is usually eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or as a side dish. Regardless of when you eat them, they are enjoyable with or without a side dish. A must-have for me – pepper sauce.
The beauty of puff puffs is that you can eat them sweet or savory. They’re a great snack, appetizer, or dessert. I often eat it as a snack or appetizer. My son definitely loves it as a simple dessert with just a bit of powdered sugar. Another great dessert/snack is homemade bon bons. Yum!
If you’re craving more, then these recipes from my list of African snacks and appetizers should help you feel satisfied.
Tips and Tricks for Making Puff Puff
- Soft puff puff: For a softer puff puff, add about 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find it a little bit hard after it stays out.
- Crunchy, not soggy: Do not overcrowd the frying pan; it will absorb excess oil and sometimes make it soggy.
- Hold the salt: You may cut back on the salt if you are watching your salt intake; about 1 teaspoon will do.
- Preheat the stove: If your house is too cold, turn on the stove for about 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the puff puff rise next to it. Or heat up the oven, turn it off when hot, and wait until it cools down. If you want it warm but not hot, then let it rise in the oven. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it’s rising.
- Use a spoon instead to scoop the dough into the oil if you do not want to use your hands. It still tastes delicious!
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”pGrRksuf” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:37:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Puff Puff” description=”Puff Puff — A very popular West African street food that’s quick and easy to make with different variations. Dangerously delicious and addicting!”]
This blog post was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated with additional tips.
Puff Puff
Ingredients
- 2 cups (+1-2 tablespoons (475ml) warm water (See notes)
- 2¼ teaspoon (7g) active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 3½ cups (420g) flour
- ½-¾ cup (100-150g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (8-9g) salt
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix salt, sugar, water, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add flour and mix.
- Let the mixture rise for approximately 1-2 hours.
- In a large saucepan, pour vegetable oil into a pot until it's at least 3 inches (about 5cm) deep and heat on low. Too little oil will result in flatter balls.
- Test to make sure the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If it is not hot enough, the batter stays at the pot's bottom rather than rising to the top.
- When the oil is hot enough, grab a little bit of the mixture with your hands or use a spoon to get a small ball of dough. Drop it carefully into the oil.
- Fry for a few minutes until the bottom side is golden brown.
- Turn the ball over and fry for a few more minutes until the other side is golden brown.
- Use a large spoon or something like that to take it out of the oil. I usually place them on napkins immediately to soak up the excess oil.
- If desired, you can roll the finished product in table sugar or powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
Tips & Notes:
- Soft puff puff: For a softer puff puff, add about 1-2 tablespoons more water. Some people find it a little bit hard after it stays out.
- Crunchy, not soggy: Do not overcrowd the frying pan, as the puff puffs will absorb excess oil and sometimes get soggy.
- Hold the salt: You may cut back on the salt if you are watching your salt intake. About 1 teaspoon of salt will do.
- Preheat the stove: If your house is too cold, turn on the stove for about 2-3 minutes until warm. Then turn it off and let the puff puff rise next to it. Or place your dough in the cold oven and put a pan full of hot water under it. Check after 30 minutes to ensure it’s rising.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Bella says
Imma I want to make puff puff with four cups of flour it’s my 1st time pls dear what’s quantity of sugar, salt, and yeast should I use?
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry, I can’t give you exact measurements , haven’t taken the time to measure it out with 4 cups . For starters, add about 1/3 cup water and keep everything else.
Caroline says
im trying this recipe out today and i could just see its gonna be good.
Murthy says
how much is the cost
ImmaculateBites says
I do not sell it .
Joy kanu says
This are the best recipes ever
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you.
Queen says
Hello Imma, can I use baking powder in place of yeast as the readily available product?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can. However, the consistency would not be the same .
TEEMAH says
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE THE PERFECT PUFFPUFF AND I HAVE FINALLY FOUND THE RECIPE. THIS IS AMAZING
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you!
Kiva says
Hi Immaculate, I finished making the batter and put it in to rise but I have to step out for about 9 hours. Would my mix spoil or what is the best way to store it?
ImmaculateBites says
Put it in the fridge and you will be ok.
Akintujoye Esther says
I want to make puff for 100 people please what is the measurements do ingredients
Leah says
This is the best pancake recipe. Mine always comes out perfect whenever I use your recipe. The measurements are so precise.
For the rising, you can keep the dough in your car for fast-rising when the sun is out.
Leah says
Sorry, puff puff recipe, I came back to look for you pancake recipe
imma africanbites says
Hi Leah, you can check out my pancake recipe here >> https://www.africanbites.com/fluffy-pancakes/. Enjoy!
Chichi says
Hello. Thanks for the video. Im trying to follow this recipe now but its been an hour in the warm oven but its not rising. Is it okay to add another pack of yeast now? 🙁
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can, if it is not rising.
Jack Egge says
Hello, is there an alternative to deep frying?
ImmaculateBites says
I haven’t really tried it because it wouldn’t yield the same results.
Love says
Thank for sharin, but what could possibly make the mixture not rise even after one to two hours? Fried it though and it came out okay.
ImmaculateBites says
It might be the yeast, or the environment or too much flour . Just to name a few.
Sandra says
Hello!
Lovely recipe. I’m wondering, if I prepare a tray a puff puff how do I keep them soft? I find that when I make puff puff and not everything is being eaten at that moment, it becomes kind of hard. What can I do ?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello,
I usually freeze them. And reheat in the oven before serving.
MC says
Hi Emma!
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes on your site. Cooking is my passion and these recipes have kept me on my toes during this quarantine period.
I just finished making some puff puff and it came out sooooo good. Soft inside and crispy outside.
ImmaculateBites says
YES! Thats how it should be . You nailed it! Thanks for trying out my recipes and glad they are working out well for you.
Diana says
Hi! Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose? Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you sure can.
J.T says
I used bread flour and they came out too stodgy and chewy, the light texture was lost completely! I’m sure they’ll taste amazing with plain flour! Will deffo try with plain, next time!
Victoria says
I used the bread flour for my puff puff. It was absolutely lovely. Fluffy, round & delicious
ImmaculateBites says
YESS!! Thanks so much.
Sharon says
It was fantastic for me. Thanks a lot for such great recipe…
ImmaculateBites says
You’re welcome, Sharon :)!