Tortas fritas are a traditional South American flatbread made from flour, salt, butter, yeast, and water, fried in oil and often sprinkled with sugar. They are similar to Native American fried bread and Louisiana beignets and can be served sweet or savory. The recipe is simple and versatile, with variations including added ingredients like squash or sugar.
Every culture has a long tradition of flatbreads dating back to indigenous times. In parts of South America, especially Uruguay and Argentina, fried bread known as tortas fritas is the time-honored way of quickly and inexpensively preparing flat breads, in a sweet or savory style. Before frying these flattened discs in oil to a golden brown, the dough is formed from readily available ingredients: flour, salt, butter, yeast, and a little water.
Tortas fritas bear resemblance to other fried breads of Native American origin, although they are not typically airy like the others. Beignets, from the French-American bayou of Louisiana, resemble this recipe in texture and taste. According to the From Argentina With Love blog, some Argentines and Uruguayans use the term sopaipillas to describe tortas fritas, available with a range of added ingredients. This term apparently derives from the Iberian word xopaipa, which literally means “bread soaked in oil”.
The ingredients used for the basic tortas fritas are standard baked goods, in a globally accepted blend. This is perhaps the reason for the longevity of the recipe. A common recipe for making a dozen uses 2 cups (about 250 g) flour, 1 tsp. (less than 5 g) of salt, 5 tbsp. (about 76 g) of butter, 0.66 cup (almost 250 ml) of hot water and 1.5 tsp. (about 7 g) of baking powder. The dough is mixed in this order: flour, yeast, salt, softened butter and then water.
This dough ball, if malleable, is kneaded and divided into a dozen pieces, each of which is formed into a ball. These will grow when left to sit for about 15 minutes, then each is flattened. Before frying, many chefs will cut a crosshair into the center of the tortas fritas to keep them from puffing up during cooking. These are fried in hot oil and then dried on paper towels.
Before serving, many sprinkle the tortas fritas liberally with sugar. Others are left plain for pairing with meals. Any of these breads are suitable for spreading in dulce de leche, butter or jam – or all three at the same time. Often, this dish is augmented to create a range of flavored flatbreads that look but don’t taste like the original recipe. A common Chilean embellishment is adding squash to the dough. Some also add sugar to the dough, creating a flaky pastry that doesn’t need any additional toppings.
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