Instructions: Once in a great while I do prepare these treats. make sure your oil is hot enough for deep frying ( 360 to 375 degrees ) and drain on a brown paper bag or toweling to blot any excess oil.

Place flour in a large bowl.Add all remaining ingredients and mix to form a soft dough, knead smooth and elastic. Add more flour or liquid as required for proper dough consisitency.Cover and let rise double in a warm place.Punch down and let rise again. Pull off pieces of the dough,( as large as you wish making sure it fits in the frying vessel, giving room for it to puff and turn,) stretching it and set aside for 10 minutes. Fry in hot oil and turn only once. Each side should be golden. Drain on paper towels or on brown bags. May be eaten with butter and maple syrup for breakfast or roll in sugar and eat as a treat.

Note: if you dont wish to go through all this trouble you can use thawed frozen white bread dough or make your own dough in the abm for either a white bread or sweet egg dough . There are many variations on this recipe. Some use many eggs which iscommon in Portuguese baking, and others use a leaner dough for the fried dough.

NOTES : Everytime I visit Provincetown Mass. I always stop by one of the oldest Portugese bakeries on the main street. As I peek in the window, there stands an elderly woman, pulling pieces of dough from a hugh vat and frying the stretched out dough in another hugh pot of hot oil. When they are golden and puffed she shakes some promptly with sugar. The aroma is heavenly and it is hard to resist buying them.

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