Tortas Fritas – Argentine Fried Dough
Tortas fritas: the Río de la Plata classic that is on every table on rainy days and public holidays. A lard dough that fries golden — crisp outside, tender inside. The recipe as always, with the little hole in the middle and sugar scattered over, with 40 minutes of work plus 20 for the dough to rest, to go with a round of mate.
🔎 What is yerba mate? — where it comes from, what goes in it and how it differs.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 100 g beef dripping (or butter), at room temperature
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 200 ml warm water (approximately)
- Beef dripping or oil for frying, as needed
- White sugar for dusting (optional)
Method
- 1
Put the flour in a bowl with the salt and rub the fat in with your hands until you have coarse crumbs.
- 2
Add the warm water a little at a time as you bring the dough together. Knead for a few minutes until it is smooth and tender, without working it more than necessary. Let it rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
- 3
Divide into portions, roll each one out to half a centimetre thick and make the classic little hole in the centre with your finger so they cook evenly.
- 4
Fry one or two at a time in plenty of very hot fat or oil, turning them once the underside is golden. Lift them onto kitchen paper.
- 5
Dust with sugar while they are hot and serve immediately, ideally with mate and rain in the background.