Las Hojaldras de las Vitrinas
Las Hojaldras de las Vitrinas·(lahs oh-HAHL-drahs deh lahs vee-TREE-nahs)
Masa and Memories: The Panucho & Salbut Stand
The hojaldra lives behind smudged bakery glass, a flaking square of pastry beneath a caramelized crust of white sugar, the Edam cheese melts over layers of smoked ham and pickled jalapeños, while in Mérida, vendors pedal tricycles through the sweltering streets, shouting out their wares from glass display boxes known as vitrinas. Traditional bakeries laminate their dough with pork lard, but supermarket puff pastry captures that sensory rush on a weeknight. Unroll the dough, get a 400-degree oven hot, and bake.
Ingredients
- all-butter puff pastry14 oz
- smoked deli ham8 slice
- mild cheddar cheese8 slice
- pickled jalapeños1/4 cup
- egg1 large
- white granulated sugar4 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
High initial heat is crucial to hit the pastry with a blast of steam, giving it that necessary lift.
- 02
Portion the puff pastry into even squares.
Unfold the thawed pastry onto a lightly floured board and gently roll out any harsh seams, then cut the dough into an even number of four-inch squares.
- 03
Layer the savory filling on the bottom squares.
Center a slice or two of ham on half of the squares, followed by a slice of cheddar and a few pickled jalapeño rings, leaving a clean half-inch border around the edges so you can properly lock it down.
- 04
Seal the hojaldras tight, pressing from the center outward.
Lightly brush the exposed borders with egg wash, drape a second pastry square over the filling, and press down firmly to push out any trapped air before sealing to prevent a blowout in the oven.
- 05
Build the signature sugar crust.
Paint the entire top of the assembled pastries generously with the remaining egg wash, coat them heavily with white sugar, and slice two small slits in the top of each to vent the steam.
- 06
Bake to a deep, caramelized golden brown.
Blast them at 400°F for 15 minutes, then drop the oven temperature to 350°F and let them go for another 10 to 15 minutes until the pastry is puffed and the sugar has melted into a hard, crystalline shell.
- 07
Let the hojaldras rest briefly before serving.
The interior is essentially a napalm of melted cheese and pork fat; give them a few minutes to cool down, though in Yucatán, they are happily devoured warm right out of the vitrina.
Notes
Respect the cheese.
Authentic hojaldras rely on Queso Daisy, a sharp, orange staple of Yucatecan bakeries that acts much like American cheddar. Buy a block of mild to medium cheddar and slice it yourself; pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that ruin the melt.
Don't skimp on the sugar.
It feels deeply unnatural to bury a ham and cheese pastry in granulated sugar, but trust the process. The contrast between the sweet, scorched crust and the savory, spicy interior is the entire point of the dish.