I'll be honest, when it comes to fried dough, I usually outsource. Unless we're talking Baked Donuts, I've found that it's a lot less work and a whole lot tastier to pick up a batch of ethereally light, hot out of the fryer, sugar glazed delights from my local donut shop than to make my own.
BUT, these Sopapillas from The Homesick Texan Cookbook didn't take much time at all and were well worth the minimal effort. I loved the way the triangles of dough magically puffed when they hit the hot oil. They were light, but the dough had a great chew that my family enjoyed. Tossed in cinnamon sugar and lightly drizzled with honey, the golden puffs were nearly gone in a sitting. We saved a few for the morning, just to see how they fared. We were happy to find that they were still delicious when served cold the next day.
Sopapillas
from The Homesick Texan Cookbook
(makes approx. 2 dozen)
For the dough
1 TB or 1 packet of yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 TB granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 TB unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the topping
2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB ground cinnamon
Honey, to taste
1. Mix the yeast with the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter to the yeast and then slowly stir the liquid into the flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Knead the dough for 2 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a greased bowl for 1 hour, or until dough is doubled in size.
2. After dough has risen, punch it down on a floured surface; then roll it out into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut out 3-inch squares and then cut squares on the diagonal into triangles.
3. Heat 3 inches of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees. Fry two triangles of dough at a time in the oil for 1 minute on each side. The dough should puff when it hits the oil. Drain the sopapillas on a paper towel, then sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar. Serve hot with honey.
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