Sopapillas is a modern American recipe (from New Mexico) for a classic fried dough served with honey or cinnamon sugar that's often served as a Cinco de Mayo dessert. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Sopapillas.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
Sopapillas are a delicious fried dough from New Mexico. They are perfectly fried puffed dough and traditionally served with a drizzle of honey or a combination of cinnamon and sugar.
To Make the Dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Next, create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the honey and milk.
Using a spoon or your hands, mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until the dough comes together as a sticky mass. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes.
To Fry the Sopapillas: It’s always safest to fry in a deep fryer so I recommend this. Add your oil and heat up to 150°C (you’ll heat it further later). If you don’t have a deep fryer, take a wok or deep cast iron casserole (Dutch oven) and add an 8cm depth of oil then heat this up to 150°C.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. If the dough is at all sticky (it shouldn’t be after it has rested) feel free to sprinkle it with a bit of flour so it doesn’t adhere to the surface.
Turn the dough onto the your work surface and roll into a thin (3mm thick) square. (It doesn’t have to be a perfect square either, just do your best.) Cut the sopapillas into 10 x 7.5cm rectangles. Again, the measurements don’t have to be exact, you can definitely eyeball this.
Before you fry them, be sure to get your honey ready. Line a baking tray or plate with a few layers of paper towels or clean kitchen towel. Heat the oil up again to 180°C.
Carefully drop the sopapillas in the hot oil, frying two to three at a time, for about a minute, flipping them over at the halfway point. If they don’t puff up, they’ll still be tasty… but this may mean the dough isn’t rolled thin enough.
They should be lightly golden brown and not too crispy.
Transfer them to the bed of paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining sopapilla dough.
These taste best straight from the fryer to a plate to being consumed but if you want, you can keep the sopapillas warm in an oven pre-heated to 100°C while you fry up the rest.
Serve them alongside some honey and apricot preserves.
