Sourdough Sopapillas

Delicious  Sourdough Sopapillas made with sourdough discard, this puffed flour pastry is an excellent dessert with a touch of powdered sugar/ cinnamon sugar or honey.

History of Sopapillas

Sopapillas are, a type of fried pastry that originated in the Southwestern United States, particularly in New Mexico. The exact origins of sopapillas are murky but believed to be influenced by Spanish and Native American culinary traditions.

1. Spanish Influence: "Sopapilla" derives from the Spanish word "sopaipa," which refers to a sweet fried pastry. Spanish settlers brought their cooking techniques to the Americas, including various fried dough recipes.
2. Native American Influence: Indigenous peoples of the Southwestern United States had their versions of fried bread, which may have merged with Spanish techniques to create the sopapilla.
3. New Mexico: Sopapillas became especially popular in New Mexico, where they are often served as a dessert or alongside savory dishes. They are typically light, fluffy, and hollow on the inside, making them perfect for filling with honey, syrup, or other sweet or savory ingredients.

How to Make Sourdough Sopapillas

You will need the following ingredients to make these sourdough sopapillas.

• Sopapilla Ingredients
• Flour:  Use unbleached all-purpose flour. 
• Shortening: Shortening, not butter, ensures perfectly soft and fluffy sopapillas. 
• Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a levaner, which makes the dough rise.
• Sourdough starter/discard: You can use any type of sourdough starter or discard. ( used 100% Hydration starter/ discard)
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor of the sopapillas. 
• Water:  Add  water that is warm, not cold to the recipe
• Oil: You will need two quarts of oil for frying. I used peanut oil you can use any favorite oil to fry.
• Cinnamon sugar, powder sugar and honey is topped

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions to  Make Sourdough Sopapillas? 

When you make these sopapillas at home: 

 First, mix the dry ingredients, flour, salt, baking powder, sourdough discard/starter, and shortening together, then mix in the water. And make a soft pliable dough.

1. Step 1: Combine flour, salt, baking powder, shortening and mix well

2. Add water, sourdough and starter and form pilable dough

3. Step 3: Set the dough for 20-30 minutes at room temperature

4. Step 4: Divide the dough into 4 pieces, spread into a circle, and cut into wedges.

Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out the dough and cut it into wedges. You can cut it in the shape of squares too.

Fry the dough pieces until  are golden brown on both sides. 

Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy

How to serve these sourdough sopapillas?

You can serve it either as a dessert or a savory dish. f you are serving it as dessert. You can serve it with dusted powdered sugar. Rolled in cinnamon sugar or you can serve it with honey.

If you are planning to serve savory dish  filled with savory ingredients such as ground beef or chicken, covered with Chile and cheese, and served with lettuce and tomato as an entree.

Storage

Fried sopapillas are best when eaten fresh. You can also store them in airtight containers without any topping for 2-3 days, and then reheat them in oven at 200-300F for 7-10 minutes.

Dough you can freeze up to a month.When you are ready to use thaw and fry the dough.

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5 from 15 votes

Sourdough Sopapillas

Delicious  Sourdough Sopapillas made with sourdough discard, this puffed flour pastry is an excellent dessert with a touch of powdered sugar/ cinnamon sugar or honey.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Resting the dough30 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings: 32 pieces

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Swathi (Ambujom Saraswathy)

Equipment

• Portable Induction Cooktop

Ingredients

• 2 cups 260g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon 2g Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon 14g Shortening
• ¾ cup Water
• ⅓ cup 75g Sourdough starter
• 3 cup peanut oil
• For topping
• Cinnamon sugar ¼ cup sugar +1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Powdered sugar
• Honey

Instructions

• In a large bowl add flour, salt , baking powder and shortening and mix well.
• To this add sourdough starter and water to form a soft but pliable dough .
• Set it aside for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces
• Then spread it into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
• Heat the oil to 375F. Once it is ready ( you can check that by dropping a piece of dough in the hot oil, if comes to top immediately oil is ready)
• Gradually add cut pieces of sopapillas and cook until it puffs up and golden brown .
• Drain from the oil and put in kitchen tissue.
• While it is warm dip it in either cinnamon sugar /powdered sugar or honey and serve.
• Enjoy

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 0.03mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.02mg

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Swathi

This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread.  All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.