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Colombian hojaldras: thin fried dough rounds, crisp and golden

Colombian hojaldras with just flour, egg, butter, salt and water: thin rounds of dough fried until golden and blistered.

By · Updated on

Total time
80 min
Servings
5
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Colombian
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Image of Colombian hojaldras: thin fried dough rounds, crisp and golden

Ingredients

  • For the dough

  • For frying

Method

  1. Mix the flour and salt

    In a large bowl, mix 250 g of flour with 2 g of salt.

    Ceramic bowl with wheat flour and a wooden spoon on a light wooden table.

    Ceramic bowl with wheat flour and a wooden spoon on a light wooden table.

  2. Add the butter, egg and water

    Make a well in the centre. Add 30 g of soft butter, the egg and 60 ml of warm water, and start bringing it together.

    Bowl of flour with a well in the centre holding pieces of butter and an egg, and a small jug of warm water beside it.

    Bowl of flour with a well in the centre holding pieces of butter and an egg, and a small jug of warm water beside it.

  3. Knead the dough

    Knead for 5 to 8 minutes on a floured table, adding up to 30 ml more water a little at a time, until the dough is smooth, firm and does not stick.

    Hands kneading a smooth dough on a floured wooden table.

    Hands kneading a smooth dough on a floured wooden table.

  4. Let the dough rest

    Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

    Smooth ball of dough in a ceramic bowl, half covered with a linen cloth.

    Smooth ball of dough in a ceramic bowl, half covered with a linen cloth.

  5. Divide the dough

    Divide the dough into 10 portions of about 40 g and roll each into a ball. Keep them covered with the cloth.

    Several equal smooth balls of dough on a floured board, partly covered with a linen cloth.

    Several equal smooth balls of dough on a floured board, partly covered with a linen cloth.

  6. Stretch each disc

    Take each ball and open it out with your hands, holding it by the edge with the tops of your thumbs, turning and gently stretching it into a very thin disc about 15 cm across.

    Two hands holding a round disc of very thin dough by the edge and stretching it in the air, with a few balls of dough not yet stretched on a floured wooden table.

    Two hands holding a round disc of very thin dough by the edge and stretching it in the air, with a few balls of dough not yet stretched on a floured wooden table.

  7. Fry the discs

    Heat the oil to 180 °C in a deep pot. Fry the discs one at a time, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until they puff up with bubbles and turn golden.

    Thin disc of dough with bubbles turning golden in a deep pot of hot oil, with a slotted spoon beside it.

    Thin disc of dough with bubbles turning golden in a deep pot of hot oil, with a slotted spoon beside it.

  8. Drain and serve

    Lift each hojaldra out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

    Stack of thin, golden, blistered round hojaldras on a cream ceramic plate.

    Stack of thin, golden, blistered round hojaldras on a cream ceramic plate.

The step photos are illustrative.

Notes

The oil must be properly hot, at 180 °C: if it is lukewarm, the hojaldras soak up fat and turn hard; if it smokes, they burn. Stretch the dough by hand as thin as you can, until it is almost see-through, and fry one disc at a time so it puffs. If the dough springs back when you stretch it, let it rest 10 minutes longer. Serve hot, with chocolate, coffee or cheese, or dust with sugar. They keep up to 2 days in a covered container and can be reheated in a 180 °C oven for about 5 minutes. The recipe makes 10 discs of about 15 cm.

Nutrition facts

1 serving (2 hojaldras, 1/5 of the recipe)

310Calories · kcal
Protein
6.5 g
Carbohydrates
38.2 g
Fat
14.3 g
Saturated fat
4 g
Fiber
1.4 g
Sugars
0.2 g
Sodium
171 mg

Estimated per serving of 2 hojaldras, calculated with all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, egg, salt and about 40 g of oil absorbed in total while frying (an assumption, not a measurement).

Reference source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy April 2018

For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.

About this recipe

Hojaldras are thin rounds of fried dough, golden and blistered, eaten hot with chocolate, coffee or cheese. They use very few ingredients, and the key is to stretch the dough very thin by hand and fry it in properly hot oil.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my hojaldras not puff up?

Almost always because the dough is too thick or the oil is not hot enough. Stretch it very thin and fry at 180 °C, one disc at a time.

Why are they hard or greasy?

If the oil is below 170 °C, they absorb fat and turn hard. Keep it at 180 °C, do not fry several discs together and drain them on paper towels.

Can I use margarine instead of butter?

Yes. The recipe works the same with margarine, in the same amount. Butter gives more flavour.

What do you eat hojaldras with?

Hot, with chocolate, coffee or cheese. For a sweet version, dust them with sugar as soon as they come out of the oil.

How do I store and reheat them?

They keep up to 2 days in a covered container at room temperature. To bring back the crispness, warm them in a 180 °C oven for about 5 minutes.

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