Torta Frita

Torta Frita (Uruguayan Fried Dough)

A beloved Uruguayan street-food classic: a simple flour-and-fat dough fried until puffed and golden, then dusted with sugar. Traditionally enjoyed on rainy days alongside a thermos of hot mate.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

6 to 8 (makes about 12 tortas)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• •80 g (⅓ cup) beef fat (sebo), rendered and cooled to soft-solid; lard is the common home-cook substitute
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt
• •15 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar, for the dough
• •240 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water, approx.; add slowly as flour absorbs it
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral frying oil, sunflower or canola; enough for 1–2 cm / ½ in. depth in the pan
• •60 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar, for dusting the finished tortas

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: in a large bowl, whisk together the 500 g flour, 10 g salt and 15 g sugar. Add the 80 g beef fat and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
2. 2 Pour in roughly 200 ml of the lukewarm water and mix with a wooden spoon, adding the remaining water a little at a time until a soft, smooth dough forms — it should be supple, not sticky, and not stiff. Knead in the bowl for about 3 minutes until just smooth; do not overwork.
3. 3 Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes — this relaxes the gluten so the discs puff properly in the oil.
4. 4 Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 65 g each). Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a round about 12–14 cm / 4½–5½ in. across and roughly 3 mm / ⅛ in. thick.
5. 5 Using a small sharp knife, cut a slit about 4 cm / 1½ in. long in the centre of each round, then a second slit across it to make a small cross — these openings let steam escape so the disc puffs instead of bursting.
6. 6 Heat the oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat to about 175–180 °C / 350 °F. To test, drop in a scrap of dough: it should sizzle immediately and rise to the surface within a couple of seconds.
7. 7 Fry the tortas one or two at a time (don't crowd the pan) for about 1 minute per side, pressing gently with a slotted spatula once on the first side so the steam inflates the dough into a golden pillow. Flip once; the second side needs only about 30–45 seconds. Total frying time is roughly 1½–2 minutes per torta.
8. 8 Lift each torta out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on paper towels. While still hot, sprinkle generously on both sides with the 60 g of sugar so it sticks to the surface.
9. 9 Serve immediately, stacked on a plate. Tortas fritas are best eaten within 15–20 minutes of frying — that is when the outside is crackly and the inside is pillowy and just barely set.