Sopaipillas Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and fine salt until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Combine wet ingredients

In a small bowl whisk the warm milk and the large egg until blended. Pour the milk-egg mixture into the flour-butter mixture.

Form the dough

Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 times until smooth and cohesive. Do not overwork—dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is very sticky, sprinkle up to 1–2 tablespoons additional flour.

Rest the dough

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. Resting relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

Roll out dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll the rested dough to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3–6 mm) thickness. Aim for thinner edges to get light, puffy pockets when frying.

Cut into shapes

Using a 3½–4 inch round cutter, biscuit cutter, or a knife, cut the dough into rounds or rectangles about 3–4 inches across. Gently re-roll scraps once and cut additional pieces; avoid overworking the dough.

Dock lightly (optional)

To control puffing, you can lightly prick each piece once or twice with a fork in the center. This is optional—traditional sopaipillas puff into pockets but an occasional prick prevents excessive blistering.

Heat the oil

Pour about 3–4 cups of neutral oil into a heavy deep skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of roughly 1–1½ inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil: it should sizzle and rise slowly to the surface without burning immediately.

Fry sopaipillas

Working in batches to avoid crowding, gently slide 3–5 pieces into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the first side, about 45–60 seconds, then flip and fry another 30–45 seconds until puffed and evenly golden. Use a slotted spoon or spider to move and flip them.

Drain

Remove fried sopaipillas to a wire rack set over a baking sheet or to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Keep warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while frying remaining batches.

Prepare cinnamon sugar

While the sopaipillas are still warm, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl and stir to blend.

Dust sopaipillas

Toss each warm sopaipilla in the cinnamon-sugar mixture or sprinkle the mixture over them so the sugar adheres while the surface is slightly oily/warm.

Serve with honey

Arrange dusted sopaipillas on a platter and serve immediately with a bowl of honey for dipping. Encourage tearing open the warm pockets and drizzling or dipping with honey.