Sopapillas Recipe

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine.

Step 2

Add the oil and water and stir to combine until a dough forms.

Step 3

Transfer the dough onto a well-floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough becomes too sticky to work with during the kneading process, add in a little more flour. The final dough should be tacky, but not so much that it completely sticks to your fingers and hands.

Step 4

Roll the dough into a ball, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Step 5

While the dough is resting, line a baking sheet with paper towels and heat the frying oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven to 375°F.

Step 6

Prepare the cinnamon sugar topping by mixing the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar and cinnamon into a shallow dish or plate until fully combined. Set aside.

Step 7

Once fully rested, cut the dough ball in half. Roll out each half into a square about ¼ -inch thick, then cut the dough into 9 pieces (I used a pizza cutter for this). Each piece should roughly be a 3-inch square. You should have 18 pieces in total. (Some pieces may be rectangular or triangular in shape - that's okay.)

Step 8

Working in batches, carefully add 2 sopapilla squares into the hot oil. Using a metal slotted spoon, lightly push down each square so that it is fully submerged in the oil. The dough will immediately begin to puff up quickly and should have a big air pocket in the middle.

Step 9

Once the air pocket has formed, remove the slotted spoon and let the dough fry like normal. Flip the sopapillas over after 45 seconds, and let the other side fry.

Step 10

When golden brown, remove the sopapillas with a spider strainer and allow any excess oil to drain and drip back into the frying pot. Transfer the sopapillas onto the plate with cinnamon sugar topping and roll until both sides are evenly coated. Set the coated sopapillas aside on the prepared baking sheet. Continue frying and topping the remaining sopapilla squares.

Step 11

When ready to serve, drizzle sopapillas with honey.