Fried Bread

Yaniclecas are fried, crispy and flaky breads that are sold at food stands (kiosks) along the beaches and marinas in Puerto Rico.  These fried breads originated in the Dominican Republic known as Yaniqueques.  The Dominicans introduced the Yaniclecas to Puerto Rico.

While living in Puerto Rico, I would go to the marina in Fajardo and order some fish with these delicious flaky fried breads.  What a treat!  There are several variations of these savory fried breads from flavors to size to thickness.  The thinner the dough, the crispier it will be when fried.  Once the thin dough comes in contact with the heated oil, the dough starts to create these air bubbles.  My mother would makes these fried breads in the mornings served with a cup of strong Puerto Rican coffee!  The dough can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for future use.

These fried breads are known today in Puerto Rico as “Arepas.”  If you travel to Ponce, Puerto Rico, they are known as “Domplines.”  If you are over 60 years old, you were raised referring to these delicious fried breads as “Yaniclecas.”   Besides my cookbook (Aida’s Kitchen a lo Boricua),  the only other cookbook that I found containing a recipe for Yaniclecas is our most popular Puerto Rican cookbook – Cocina Criolla.   Therefore, based upon your age, country or region, these fried breads can be referred to as Yaniclecas, Arepas, Domplines and Yaniqueques.

Let’s Start Mixing the Ingredients for the Dough!

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in a bowl until well blended.

Add margarine made with extra virgin olive oil.

With a dough blender, cut margarine thoroughly into flour until the flour mixture has a coarse meal texture.

Make a well in the center of the dough mixture and gradually pour the milk.

With a spoon, stir rapidly until dough holds together.

We are Going to Start Kneading the Dough!

Place dough onto a floured surface.

Shape dough into a ball with your hands.

Start kneading the dough with both hands – pressing down onto the dough for approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, we are ready to start rolling out the dough.

Now We Can Roll the Dough into 5-Inch Circles!

Shape the dough into a smooth ball.

Divide dough into 20 equal parts and shape them into 1½-inch balls with the palm of your hands.  Place on wax paper sprinkled lightly with flour.

With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into a 5-inch circle with ¼ to ⅛-inch thickness.  Place on wax paper sprinkled lightly with flour.

You can roll the dough into 3-inch circles, creating a more dense consistency.  The size and thickness depends on your preference.

It’s Time to Make Our Delicious Fried Bread!

Heat oil in a skillet to 365°F.  Fry dough until golden brown on both sides.

Remove from skillet and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Serve warm with a cup of Puerto Rican Coffee or your favorite fish. 

Learn How to Package the Homemade Pre-Cut Dough for Future Use!

Place a sheet of wax paper on a surface sprinkled lightly with flour on top.

Gently place your homemade pre-cut dough on top of the wax paper and sprinkle lightly on top of dough with flour.

Now you place another sheet of wax paper on top of pre-cut dough sprinkled lightly with flour.  

You continue this process until you have a stack of 6 to 8 pre-cut dough.

Insert the entire stack of homemade pre-cut dough into a plastic gallon bag and store in the freezer for future use.

If you plan to fry the pre-cut dough within a month, I would store them in a regular plastic bag.  However, if you plan to fry the dough within a year, I would recommend to freeze the dough first on a cookie sheet for about 2 hours and then vacuum seal the pre-cut dough for longer lasting freshness.  You will need a vacuum sealer and the vacuum seal bags to vacuum-pack your dough.

I also provide a demonstration on How to Package the Pre-Cut Dough for future use in the video below.

Click on the button below to watch my YouTube video on How to Make Fried Bread!

This video has been removed because it is being updated!

Recipe and Nutritional Facts!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only.  Please refer to our Nutritional Facts Disclaimer for more information.

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