Torta Frita (Argentine Fried Dough)
The classic rainy-day fried dough: a simple dough rolled thin, fried until golden, and eaten fresh with sugar or mate. Few ingredients, but the technique makes all the difference.
- 500 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50 g (3.5 tbsp) melted lard (or butter)
- 250 ml (1 cup) warm water, approximately
- Lard or oil, plenty, for frying
- Sugar, for dusting
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1
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
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2
Work in the fat
Add the melted lard (warm, not hot) and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it looks sandy, like breadcrumbs.
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3
Bring the dough together
Add the warm water little by little, mixing first with a spoon and then with your hand, until it forms a ball. Add just enough water: it should be soft but not sticky.
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4
Knead briefly
Knead for only 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to bring it together: over-kneading makes it tough and less airy.
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5
Let it rest
Shape it into a ball, cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. This step is key: it relaxes the gluten so it's much easier to stretch thin afterward without it springing back.
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6
Divide and stretch
Divide the dough into pieces the size of a golf ball. Stretch each one with your hands into a thin, roughly 10 to 12 cm (4 to 5 in) disc, and poke a hole in the center with two fingers.
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7
Heat the fat
Heat plenty of lard or oil in a skillet or pot, about 3 to 4 cm (1.5 in) deep. It's ready when a small piece of dough dropped in bubbles up immediately.
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8
Fry one at a time
Fry them one at a time, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden and puffed. If they're browning too fast, lower the heat: the inside needs to cook through properly.
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9
Drain and serve
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Dust with sugar while still hot and serve right away, with mate.
- The hole in the center isn't decorative: without it, the middle takes much longer to cook and stays raw while the edges already burn.
- Lard gives the traditional flavor, but plain oil works well too: the real key is the temperature, not the fat.
- Test the oil's temperature with a small piece of dough before frying the first one: if it doesn't bubble up right away, wait a bit longer.
- They're best eaten fresh: they lose their crispy-fluffy texture as soon as they cool down.