Chaplas
Hollow puffed Andean bread
Ayacucho's hollow, puffed Andean bread
Walk through Ayacucho's central market at seven in the morning and you will see women selling stacks of chaplas from cloth-lined baskets, still warm from the wood-fired ovens of the Andes. These round wheat breads puff up like pita in the fierce heat, leaving a hollow pocket inside a thin, soft, lightly floury crust. In Ayacucho and Huancavelica they are eaten with sweet coffee or hot emoliente for breakfast, or split and filled with queso fresco, avocado or a spoonful of rocoto sauce. Highland bakers traditionally work in a little lard; vegetable shortening gives the same tenderness and keeps the bread vegan. A cool baking tray is the reason chaplas stay flat, so preheat it thoroughly. Chef's tip: let the rolled rounds rest before baking and flip them upside down onto the tray, so the smooth, dry side meets the heat first and the pocket opens evenly.
- Total time
- 149 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ oz salt
- ⅞ oz vegetable shorteningsoft
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
To finish
- 1 tsp aniseed (optional)a highland touch
- 2 tbsp plain flourfor dusting
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, ¼ oz salt and 1 tsp aniseed if using. Rub in ⅞ oz vegetable shortening, then add 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough.
8 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Divide into 10 and shape into smooth balls. Rest for 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
10 minStep 4: Dust with 2 tbsp plain flour and roll each ball evenly into a 13–14 cm round about 5 mm thick; thin or torn patches stop the bread puffing. Lay on a floured cloth, cover and rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 5: Put two baking trays in the oven and heat it to 475°F (450°F fan) for at least 20 minutes.
20 minStep 6: Flip 3–4 rounds upside down onto a hot tray and bake for 6–8 minutes, until fully puffed and pale with a few golden spots; don't let them brown deeply.
8 minStep 7: Stack the chaplas in a cloth-lined basket as they come out so they stay soft, and bake the rest.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chaplas take?
- About 149 minutes in total: 125 minutes to prepare and 24 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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