VegetarianOhio Fair Food cuisine Street Food

Ohio Fairground Elephant Ears

Name: Ohio Fairground Elephant Ears
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Ohio Fair Food
Ingredients: 3.5 cup All-purpose flour; 2.25 tsp Active dry yeast; 1 cup warm water; 3 tbsp Sugar; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 tsp Kosher salt; 2 tbsp Ground cinnamon

Discs of yeasted dough stretched thin, deep-fried until blistered and crisp, then dusted heavily with cinnamon sugar. This oversized fried dough is a midway staple at fairs across the state.

🇺🇸United States· Ohio

Prep: 90 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 105 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 7 gathered

Servings

3½ cup All-purpose flour
2¼ tsp Active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp Sugar — plus 1 cup for cinnamon sugar topping
2 tbsp Vegetable oil — for dough, plus more for frying
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 tbsp Ground cinnamon — for topping

Equipment

•Deep pot or fryer
•Stand mixer

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 14
carbs: 42
protein: 5
calories: 310

Instructions

1
Stir the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar into warm water. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2
Mix in flour, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil to form a soft dough.
3
Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
4
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Let rise for about 1 hour until doubled.
5
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
6
Stretch each piece with your hands into a thin, uneven disc about 8 inches across.
7
Heat oil in a deep pot on the stovetop to 365°F.
8
Fry each disc for about 1 minute per side until golden and bubbly.
9
Mix the remaining sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle generously over each hot elephant ear before serving.

Chef's tips

Stretch the dough by hand from the center outward instead of using a rolling pin to get that classic thin, uneven fairground shape.

Storage

Best eaten immediately; does not store well once fried.

Reheating

Not recommended; elephant ears lose their crispness quickly.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Stretching the dough too thick, which leaves the center doughy and raw after frying.
•Heating the oil too high, which burns the edges before the center cooks through.