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 This recipe is courtesy of
Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX.
Check out more of Cynthia's
Southwest Cooking Recipes.
Buñuelos are served for
numerous festive occasions and celebrations, from
Christmas and Thanksgiving, to birthdays and
baptisms
Over the years Buñuelos have become often confused
with other fried breads of the southwest, such as
Indian Fry Bread. It should be made known that
Buñuelos are not Sopapillas, and are not Fry
Bread. Each of these three breads is actually very
different. Buñuelos are more akin to a doughnut than
to a Sopapilla, and Sopapillas originated from the
Indian Fry Bread of New Mexico’s Native Population.
Restaurants and cookbooks
alike, have confused these three breads. For
that reason, I want to show all three so the
differences, as well as the similarities, can be
seen.
Check out
Navajo Fry Bread -
Indian Tacos
and
Sopapillas.
Buñuelos Recipe (Mexican-Style
Doughnuts)
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees F.)
1 tablespoons sugar
1 package active dry yeast
7 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying.
In a small bowl, stir together
the warm water and the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast
over this and let it set for about 10 minutes. You
will see a froth form on the top it, and you can smell
the yeast.
In a small saucepan
over medium-low heat, heat the milk, shortening, and
salt just
until the shortening melts. Remove from heat
and let the mixture cool down to
lukewarm. NOTE: If either the water or milk mix is too
hot, it will “kill” the yeast and your dough will
not rise.
Place the flour into
a large mixing bowl and begin to mix in both the
yeast and the milk mixtures, stirring briskly to mix in
all the ingredients. When the dough becomes to
thick to mix with the spoon, turn out onto a lightly
floured surface and knead for a minimum of 5
minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic
when pulled and not sticky. It should spring back slightly
when you poke a finger into it.
Take a small amount of your
vegetable oil and place it into a large bowl. Roll the
dough ball in the oil, flipping it over and covering the
dough ball with a thin coating of the oil. Cover the bowl
loosely with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the
dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size,
approximately 1 to 2
hours.
NOTE:
This recipe can even be made the day before and
placed in the refrigerator to rise overnight. Cover
the bowl with a plate and make sure there is enough
room that the dough doesn’t rise over the edges of
the bowl.
When dough has risen,
punch down the dough, cut it
into four (4) equal sections, and allow it to rest for
another 10
minutes.
While the dough is resting heat
your oil to 375 degrees F. (a skillet or electric fryer works
best).
Divide each dough quarter into three
(3) pieces. Pat them into a 4-inch circle, stretching and
pressing until a round shape is formed.
Carefully place the dough
pieces into
the hot oil and fry until they puff up and are
browned, approimately 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, flip
the Buñuelo over and cook for another 1 minute to
brown the second side. Remove from the hot oil and
drain well.
Buñuelos
can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1
hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a
350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Sugared Buñuelos
Like doughnuts, there are a
variety of ways these can be finished off before
serving, or they can be served just as they are.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Prepare the Buñuelos
per the recipe above.
In a large bag, mix the sugar and the cinnamon
together. Place the warm buñuelos into the
sugar/cinnamon mix (2 or 3 at
a time) and close the bag. Shake to coat the bread
well.
Remove the the bag and
enjoy!
Buñuelos in Syrup
2/3 cup firmly-packed
dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet wine (such as Madiera or Port)
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grated peel (zest) of a lemon or orange
1/3 cup raisins
Prepare the Buñuelos
per the recipe above.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the
brown sugar, wine, water, and cinnamon to a soft
boil for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from
heat and stir in the grated
lemon or orange peel and raisins.
Place the warn Buñeulos onto a
rimmed platter and pour the syrup mixture over them,
allowing the syrup to soak in for about 1 minute.
Serve.
Filled Buñuelos
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons pinons (pine nuts)*
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
*
Almonds may be substituted if pine nuts are not
available.
Prepare the Buñuelos
per the recipe above through forming the dough rounds
(see main recipe above).
In a food processor or
blender, combine butter, brown sugar, pine nuts,
cinnamon, and cloves; blending until smooth. With a
rubber spatula, scrape down the sides to make sure
all the ingredients are ground completely.
To stuff the Buñuelo
dough rounds, take a
sharp knife and
score the back of each dough round slightly (do not cut
through the dough). Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling
mixture slightly to one side of the dough round and
fold the dough in half. Using a fork, press all the
way around the edges so that a seal is formed.
Fry the stuffed Buñeulos in oil
as described in the main recipe: drain and serve.
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