Food From a Hungry Ghost

I’m preparing multiple special events for next week (breakfasts and dinners). For two days this week that has meant making bofrot (pronounced “boh-froot”), a Ghanian donut.

Well, in my mind they’re a donut. Other chefs have called them fritters, dough balls, and beignet. Call them what you will, I’m still the guy making a little over 1500 of them. The breakfast version is made with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then tossed in cinnamon-sugar after being fried. The dinner version is made with ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne and used a dipping bread.

The version I’m sharing today is a recipe designed with a consideration of resource limitations in Ghana, based on recipes shared by Ghanians. While you can replace a portion of the water with milk (dairy or non-dairy), the water dough used here is a genuine treat that holds up well to being kept warm or reheated when not served immediately.

Bofrot Recipe:

• 4 1/2 cups (540 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar (divided – 1 teaspoon set aside )
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 1/4 cup water, about 95-100°F or warm to the touch
• oil for frying

First combine the dry ingredients in a bowl in the following order: Flour and yeast whisked together, then the sugar and spices. Finally the salt.

Make a well in the center. Pour in the warm water and use a spatula to stir the mix. It should resemble a thick pancake batter, so if it’s crumbly or very thick you’ll want to mix in more water to make sure it’s completely saturated.

Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 30-45 minutes. Preheat your oil to 350°F.

Check your dough: It should be bubbling and almost twice it’s original size. Using a 1 oz scoop begin to portion the dough into the fryer (about 6 at a time) then submerge completely. Allow to fry for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow to rest on a paper towel lined pan. Toss with sugar, or sugar and cinnamon.

This yields roughly 25-30 donuts.