Gorditas de Harina
This recipe is definitely not cookie, cake, or a sweet recipe at all, but I promise you it’s worth a try. So these are called Gorditas de Harina, in direct translation, “Flour Fatties”. But in reality these are a Mexican version of pita pockets.
In this post I will give you the recipe and also a step by step on how to make these at home.
A few things to keep in mind
Making gorditas may look easy but this is a rather acquired skill. That being said I still want you to give them a try. The one thing that will dictate the success of your gorditas is the consistency of your dough. The dough should feel wet and cold, but it should not stick to the bowl nor your fingers. These gorditas can be filled with any savory filling of your choosing, here are a few examples of what I have filled them with before. Refried beans and cheese, potatoes and peppers, pork rinds in green sauce.
Gorditas de Harina
Cuisine: Mexican12
30
minutes1
These are delicious flour pockets that can be filled with any savory filling that you like. They are traditionally served with refried beans and cheese or potatoes in green pepper sauce.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4-1 cups warm water
Directions
- In a mixing bowl; add in flour, vegetable shortening, salt, baking powder
- Using a spatula or your hand blend these ingredients together and slowly add in water, you’ll use between 3/4 cups to 1 cup. You may use more you may use less, what we want to watch out for is the consistency of the dough, it should be soft, squishy, but it shouldn’t stick to the bowl nor your hands.
- Once you have added sufficient water knead the dough in your bowl for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes flour a flat working surface and dump the dough onto the floured surface and continue to k was the dough an additional 5-7 minutes to achieve a soft and squishy but not sticky consistency.
- After your dough is ready begin to portion out the small balls, take the big ball of dough and cut it down the center in two halves, then cut those halves in halves and so on until you reach 12 or so portions
- Use a rolling pin to expand the flour balls into flat discs. You can make the discs as thick or thin as you want, but the preferred thickness is 1/8 inches thick. During this part of the process go ahead and preheat a stove flat griddle to cook the discs on your stove top. I like to heat the griddle to medium high heat. As you accumulate discs go ahead and place them on the griddle. Each disc will cook for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. You will know the first side is ready to be flipped when it turns slightly spotted brown and no longer sticks to the griddle. When it is ready flip it and cook on the other side.
- As you accumulate 2-3 gorditas, grab a napkin and use it to hold the Gordita, white holding it insert a small knife down the center and gently using a sawing motion cut down the center of the Gordita as to open it like a pocket. Do not cut all the way around only all the way in and hallway around as to resemble a coin purse of some sort.
- After you’ve finished you can allow to cool and store for later consumption or eat them right away.
Recipe Video
Notes
- The gorditas must be cut open down the center while they are hot. If you wait until later or the next day they will be much harder to open.
- If storing them in the refrigerator allow them to cool completely, wrap them in napkins and then place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag, they will be good to eat in the refrigerator for three day. If you want to freeze them freeze them immediately using the method motioned to store in the refrigerator but add a layer of freezer cling wrap to preserve them longer.