Recipe courtesy of Bryan Ford
Recipe courtesy of Bryan Ford
Watch how to make this recipe.
Baleadas
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 35 min
- Active: 2 hr
- Yield: 12 baleadas
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 446
- Total Fat
- 23 g
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 13 g
- Cholesterol
- 38 mg
- Sodium
- 303 mg
Waking up knowing I’m going to eat a baleada is a childhood memory that stands above all my other food memories. Whether it was before or after school, for weekend lunch or just as a snack, it was always a good time to have baleadas with my family. The baleada is one of the most famous dishes of Honduras, and in my opinion it is a national treasure. Perfectly creamy refried beans, crema hondureña and a heavy dose of crumbled queso duro stuffed into a silky-smooth tortilla is an irresistible combination that can also be topped up with carne asada, avocado, eggs or chorizo. Baleadas are thought to have originated on the North Coast of Honduras, possibly in La Ceiba, where it is said that a woman was selling some of the best street food around. Legend has it that she, or perhaps someone around her vending site, was gunned down. Afterwards, locals wanted to go and eat “adonde la baleada,” which translates roughly to “where they shot her.” As tragic as this story is, there is no doubt that those baleadas were delicious if people still flocked to that spot!
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 35 min
- Active: 2 hr
- Yield: 12 baleadas
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 446
- Total Fat
- 23 g
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 13 g
- Cholesterol
- 38 mg
- Sodium
- 303 mg
Ingredients
Tortillas:
Beans:
Serving:
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Directions
- For the tortillas: Combine the flour, kosher salt and baking powder in a bowl and mix to incorporate. Next, warm up the coconut milk. This part is important for the dough (because my mom said so!) so make sure you’re not using cold coconut milk. You don’t want it boiling hot, but you want it a little bit past warm.
- Add the coconut milk, oil, egg and water to the dry ingredients and mix until the oil is incorporated and there is no dry flour left. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead. Use the palm of your hand to push the dough forward and your fingers to fold it back into the middle. Repeat the kneading process for about 7 minutes, or until you have a slightly sticky but smooth dough. Cover and let rest for at least 20 minutes. You don’t want to skip this resting period as it lets the dough relax and become even more flexible.
- Roll the dough into a log shape — it should be silky and offer no resistance at this point and be strong enough to stretch out. Divide into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover the balls, preferably with a moist paper towel, and let rest another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot and slightly smoky, then turn the heat to low. Wait 5 minutes before cooking your tortilla. Heat is important, but you don’t want it to be too high during the entire cooking process. Take a ball of dough and use a tortilla press, a rolling pin and a little bit of flour or an oiled plate to press, roll or stretch out a tortilla.
- Cook the tortilla on the heated cast iron for about 3 minutes per side, then flip and cook it an additional minute on each side. You are looking for your tortilla to bubble and develop caramel brown spots evenly over each side. Place the cooked tortilla in a clean kitchen towel. Continue making and cooking tortillas, bundling them up in the towel to keep them warm and soft before serving.
- For the beans: Add the oil, 4 tablespoons of the butter, the onion and garlic to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and bay leaves to the butter and stir vigorously until the onion is translucent.
- Add the cooked red beans and coconut milk. Add the salt and more black pepper if desired. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Mash the beans with a potato masher or cream them in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Once the beans are mashed and creamy, cover the pan and let them sit off the heat.
- For serving: Spread an even layer of beans on a tortilla. Top generously with crumbled queso hondureño and a heavy dose of crema. This is called a baleada sencilla (simple baleada) and it’s my preferred way to eat a baleada. However, you can also add carne asada, avocado, eggs or chorizo, depending on what time of day it is and how much sustenance you need! Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Cook’s Note
Make sure the tortilla dough is super stretchy and does not pull back when flattened before you begin pressing or rolling your tortillas.
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