Step 1

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the shortening, and use your hands to integrate it well with the flour.

Step 2

Pour the hot water into the bowl, little by little. Work the dough with your fingers, mixing the dry ingredients with the water until you form a dough.

Step 3

On your table or countertop, knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes until it is smooth. Form a ball with the dough and place it back in the bowl.

Step 4

Cover the dough with a plastic or kitchen napkin and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This resting time helps the gluten to develop and make it easy for you to roll out the dough and form the sopapillas.

Step 5

After the resting time, slightly knead the dough again and then form it back into a ball. Flatten the ball a little bit, then cut it into 4 pieces using a knife or a pastry cutter.

Step 6

Pour the oil into a large pot and turn the heat to medium-low. The oil should reach an average temperature of 350ºF.

Step 7

Roll the 4 pieces of dough to form smaller balls. Place one on your working surface and set the other 3 pieces aside, covered with plastic wrap. Form a round disk with the dough using a rolling pin. The disc should be about 6 inches in diameter, and ⅛ to ¼ of an inch in thickness.

Step 8

Once you form the disc, cut it into four pieces. These pieces will look like triangles. Carefully place each one into the hot oil. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pot. Once the dough triangles are in the oil, they will inflate almost immediately. Continue cooking until the bottoms of the sopapillas are medium golden, then turn them to cook on the other side until light brown and crispy. The sopapillas will take a total of about 4-5 minutes to cook completely.

Step 9

Remove the sopaipillas from the oil using a slotted spatula, and place them on a plate covered with paper towels (to absorb any excess oil) Follow steps 6-8 to continue forming and cooking the remaining sopapillas.

Step 10

To serve the sopaipillas, dust them with the confectioner’s sugar and ground cinnamon, and then drizzle them with honey (or Piloncillo syrup, if you have any).