Step 1

Add the masa harina and salt to a large bowl and whisk. Then, pour in 1 ½ cups of warm water and mix together with your hands.

Step 2

Knead the dough to form a ball that's sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands too much. Keep mixing and pressing with your palm for a few minutes.

Step 3

If the dough appears too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until the texture resembles play dough. If it becomes too sticky, add in a little more masa harina.

Step 4

Break off pieces of the masa to form small balls (about 60-65 grams each, or the size of a golf ball). Roll each piece of dough in between your palms until smooth. Cover them with a tea towel on your counter or a cutting board.

Step 5

If you have a tortilla press, cut a zip-top bag or wax paper into 2 pieces that will fit into the press (one for each side of the sope).

Step 6

Open the press and place a dough ball in the center on a piece of plastic. Place the other piece on top and close the press down quite gently to form tortillas about ¼-inch thick.

Step 7

If you don't have a tortilla press, place your ball of dough between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter. Press the dough down with the bottom of a baking dish or flat plate.

Step 8

Preheat a cast-iron skillet up to medium. Then, add a sope in and cook on the first side for 60-70 seconds. Flip and cook for another 60-90 seconds, or until brown spots are forming and it's puffing slightly.

Step 9

Remove from heat and let rest while you add in the next batch of sopes. After about 30-60 seconds, pull a little dough from the inner portion of the cooked sope out to the edge with your thumb and index finger. Do this all the way around to form a ridge. Cover the sopes with a tea towel, and repeat this process with the rest.

Step 10

Heat about a ¼ cup of neutral oil in the same skillet over medium. Fry each sope on both sides for about 30 seconds, or until they are light gold in color. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.

Step 11

Serve your sopes with a layer of refried beans on the bottom. Top them with optional garnishes like salsa fresca, avocado, vegan queso fresco, vegan Mexican crema, cilantro, lime juice, or hot sauce. Happy eating!