The tastiest homemade Sopaipillas are made in minutes, with basic pantry ingredients. Serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar and drizzle of honey!
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with forks or a pastry blender.
Gradually stir in water until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, add about 1-2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Roll the dough into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Cut three strips vertically and horizontally to make 9 pieces.
Once the oil is lightly bubbling, lay a square of dough very carefully onto the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom and then begin to float to the top of the oil.
Once it floats to the top, lightly drizzle hot oil over the top of it as it cooks, which will help it to pillow-up. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey, or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Store leftover sopapillas at room temperature for 1-2 days.
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Notes
*Recipe can easily be doubled to make more!Freezing Instructions:
To freeze the dough (recommended method): Make the dough (follow step 1-2 in the recipe card) and store the dough in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then roll out the dough and fry as instructed.
To freeze fried sopapillas: the cooled pastries can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow them to thaw completely and bake at 300°F for about 5-8 minutes (turning halfway through) until warm.