Yaniqueque

Yaniqueque (Dominican Butter Flatbread)

A classic Dominican street-food flatbread, yaniqueque is fried until crisp and golden on the outside while staying tender inside. Traditionally it is leavened only with baking powder and enriched heavily with butter, giving it a rich, biscuit-like flavor.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

6 flatbreads

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (3½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• •15 g (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) baking powder, standard double-acting
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine salt
• •113 g (½ cup (1 stick)) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes; lard is the most traditional Dominican choice and can replace up to half the butter
• •240 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water, plus 1–2 tbsp more if needed
• •500 ml (about 2 cups) neutral oil, for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower; traditional Dominican yaniqueque is shallow-fried in about 5 mm of oil

Steps

1. 1 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. 2 Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
3. 3 Pour in the lukewarm water and mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands into a soft, slightly sticky dough. If it is dry, add 1 more tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together; do not knead longer than needed or the flatbreads will be tough.
4. 4 Divide the dough into 6 equal balls (about 115 g / 4 oz each). Cover and let rest 10 minutes so the flour hydrates.
5. 5 On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out to a round about 4 mm (⅛ inch) thick, roughly 15 cm (6 inches) across. Keep the rounds under a clean towel while you work so they do not dry out.
6. 6 Heat about 5 mm (¼ inch) of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat until a small piece of dough sizzles immediately on contact, around 175 °C (350 °F).
7. 7 Fry one flatbread at a time, laying it gently in the oil. Cook 45–60 seconds on the first side, until the underside is golden brown and you see bubbles forming on top.
8. 8 Flip and fry another 45–60 seconds on the second side, until evenly golden and puffed in places. Press lightly with a spatula so the center cooks through.
9. 9 Lift out, drain on a paper towel–lined plate, and keep warm while you fry the remaining rounds, adding a little more oil between batches as needed.
10. 10 Serve hot, ideally with breakfast eggs, fried cheese (queso frito), salami, or simply with coffee. The flatbread is best eaten the day it is made while the outside is still crisp.