I'm 1/4 Anishnabe (Chippewa or Ojibwe are other names for our tribe). Out tribe is formely called the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. I've eaten my share of fry bread. Some is good, some is not. My eldest son makes the best fry bread I have eaten, period. And that's not a predjudicial statement. His is just plain good.
I have to laugh though because other than fry bread, he can barely boil water. Oh well. We all have to be good at something.
In any case, all fry breads are variations on a biscuit batter or dough. The main difference is the texture of the dough. Bisuit dough is usually much more moist and looser than its fry bread cousin. And fry bread dough is kneaded, as is bread dough, to develop the gluten until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. The final texture is determined by several factors; the amount of oil in the dough, the amount of leavening agent, the ratio of flour to water, and the cooking oil temp. OH, and you adjust the fry bread for diferent purposes by altering the sugar and salt content, more sugar for desert and less for savory.
Also, if the oil is too hot, the fry bread will be golden on the outside and raw in the middle. If it's not hot enough, the fry bread will absorb too much oil. I don't know the proper temp. I just make enough dough so that I can experiment with a few and alter the flame until the bread is jsut right.
You can even use my basic pancake batter recipe and add enough flour to make it into a dough, rather than a batter.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North