Hojaldras (Panamanian Fried Bread): Easy Breakfast Recipe

Hojaldras (also spelled hojaldres, pronounced oh-AHL-drahs) are Panama’s fried breakfast bread. You make a quick dough from flour, salt, a little sugar, baking powder, butter and water, let it rest, stretch it thin by hand and fry it until it puffs and turns golden. Panamanians eat them hot with fried white cheese, eggs, stewed sausages or a steak with onions.

This recipe makes enough for 2 people. It takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work, plus 30 to 60 minutes for the dough to rest.

What are hojaldras?

Hojaldras are disks of plain wheat dough, stretched thin and fried. They come out crisp on the edges, a little chewy in the middle, and often with big air pockets. You’ll find them at breakfast all over Panama, at home, in small fondas (diners) and at roadside stands, usually next to a cup of coffee.

If you’ve had Mexican sopapillas, Native American fry bread or Puerto Rican arepas de harina, you’re in the same family. The difference is in the details. Hojaldras are stretched very thin instead of rolled thick, they aren’t sweet, and they’re eaten with savory food, not honey.

Hojaldras or hojaldres: which spelling is right?

Both are used in Panama. Hojaldre is the standard Spanish word for puff pastry, so many people write hojaldres. In everyday Panamanian speech and on fonda menus, you’ll often see hojaldras. They’re the same thing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 4.25 oz / 120 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (4 fl oz / 120 ml) water, added a little at a time
• Vegetable oil for frying (a few cups, enough for about 1 inch in the pan)

Ingredient notes and US substitutes

• Flour: regular all-purpose flour from any US grocery store works. You don’t need bread flour.
• Baking powder: this is what makes the dough puff in the oil. Check the date on the can; old baking powder is the most common reason hojaldras come out flat.
• Butter: you can use margarine, lard or a teaspoon of oil instead.
• Water: some cooks in Panama use milk for a softer dough. Water gives a crispier result.
• Oil: any neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, corn or peanut oil.

How to make hojaldras, step by step

1. Make a well. Put the flour in a bowl and push it to the sides so you have an opening in the center, like a volcano crater.
2. Add the dry ingredients and butter. Into the opening, add the salt, sugar, baking powder and melted butter. Mix everything into the flour with your fingers or a fork.
3. Add water slowly. Make another opening in the center and add the water in small amounts, mixing as you go. Stop when the dough comes together and feels soft and stretchy but not sticky. You may not need the full 1/2 cup.
4. Knead briefly. Knead for a minute or two until smooth.
5. Let it rest. Cover the dough and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, up to 60. The longer it rests, the easier it stretches without tearing.
6. Divide and stretch. Pinch off pieces of dough (about the size of a golf ball). Using your hands, slowly pull and stretch each piece until it’s thin and about the size of a small dessert plate. Small holes are fine.
7. Heat the oil. Pour a few cups of oil into a frying pan and heat it over medium-high heat. If you have a thermometer, aim for about 350 to 375°F (175 to 190°C). Without one, drop in a tiny scrap of dough. It should sizzle and float right away.
8. Fry. Lay one stretched dough in the hot oil. It will start puffing in seconds. Fry until golden brown, then flip and fry the other side, usually about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
9. Drain and serve. Lift it out, let the oil drip off and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Here’s the full recipe on video:

Why didn’t my hojaldras puff? Common mistakes

• The oil wasn’t hot enough. Cool oil soaks into the dough, so it comes out greasy and flat. Wait for the oil to heat up, and fry one at a time so the temperature doesn’t drop.
• The dough was too thick. Stretch it thin. Thick dough cooks into a dense, bready disk.
• The dough didn’t rest. Unrested dough springs back and tears when you stretch it.
• Old baking powder. Replace it if the can has been open for more than about six months.
• Too much water. A sticky dough is hard to stretch. Add water a little at a time, and if it gets sticky, work in a spoonful of flour.

What to serve with hojaldras

A typical Panamanian breakfast puts hojaldras next to something savory:

• Fried queso blanco (Panamanian white cheese). In the US, look for queso blanco, queso de freír or halloumi.
• Fried or scrambled eggs
• Salchichas guisadas (sausages stewed in tomato sauce)
• Bistec picado or bistec encebollado (chopped steak or steak with onions)
• Black coffee or coffee with milk

Hojaldras usually share the breakfast table with other fried favorites like carimañolas and corn tortillas. For more ideas, see our guide to traditional Panamanian food.

Make-ahead and storage

• Dough the night before: you can make the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic and keep it in the fridge overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before stretching so it’s not stiff.
• Leftovers: hojaldras are best right out of the oil. Leftovers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
• Reheating: skip the microwave, which makes them chewy. Reheat in a 350°F oven or an air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp again.

Hojaldras FAQ

Are hojaldras sweet?

No. There’s only a teaspoon of sugar in the dough, which helps with browning. They’re eaten with savory food. Some people sprinkle sugar on top, but that’s not the usual way in Panama.

Can I bake hojaldras instead of frying them?

You can bake the dough, but you’ll get a flatbread, not an hojaldra. The puffing and crisp texture come from frying.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. It doubles or triples easily. Just add the water slowly, since flour can absorb different amounts.

How many hojaldras does this make?

That depends on how big and thin you stretch them. This amount is meant for 2 people. Double it for 4.

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For all my recipes, visit the recipe section. If you want to stock your kitchen, see my guide to pantry items and tools for Panamanian cooking. You can also watch more on my YouTube channel.