Think of the sopapillas of New Mexico as a hybrid between the fry bread of the Pueblo Indians and the natives of Mexico and Spain. Although sopapillas are often served solo with honey and butter, or sliced and stuffid with beans, others prefer them as a dessert sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or with caramel syrup.
50 min
20 min
1 hr 10 min
- Preparation
- Recipe Reviews
- Email Recipe
- Video
Ingredients
Serves Tool
Serves To:USMetric| 4 | Cup(c) | all purpose flour | |
| 2 | Teaspoon(t) | baking powder | |
| 1 | Teaspoon(t) | sea salt | |
| 4 | Tablespoon(T) | vegetable shortening | |
| 3 | Cup(c) | peanut oil, for frying |
Preparation
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal is formed. Add just enough lukewarm water, about 1 cup, to soften the dough. Mix it in with a fork or your fingertips until it forms a sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead and turn about 40 times. The dough will still be soft but no longer sticky. Roll into 4 balls, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap, and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated for several hours if needed, but bring to room temperature before continuing. One at a time, roll each ball of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a circular shape 1/2 inch thick. Cut out diamond shaped wedges about 2 or 3 inches long on a side. Or if you want, the dough can be cut in other shapes or in a larger size. Since it's best not to rework the dough because it makes it tough, any extra large pieces can be cut into other small, irregular shapes. Loosely cover the sopapillas while forming the others. In a large, heavy skillet or electric frying pan, heat 1 inch of oil to 400 degrees F. It will take several minutes. Test a small scrap of dough by dropping it into the hot oil. It should sizzle and puff up immediately. When the oil is hot enough, place the sopapillas, a few at a time, into the oil and hold them under with a slotted spoon until they balloon, or spoon some hot oil over the top. Turn over after a few seconds and fry the other side. When light golden brown, lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. The bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F oven while frying the remainder, or they can be reheated at 350 degrees F.