FlatbreadsSalvadoranMedium

Pupusa Dough (with Simple Cheese Filling)

Name: Pupusa Dough (with Simple Cheese Filling)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients: 3 cups (360 g) masa harina; 1¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon (450 ml) warm water, about 100°F (38°C); 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt; 8 oz (225 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 2 cups), divided into 8 portions of about 1 oz / 28 g; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or avocado), divided: 1 tablespoon for hand water, 1 tablespoon for the griddle; ½ cup (120 ml) cool water, in a small bowl, for wetting hands

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A soft, pliable Salvadoran masa dough made from just masa harina, warm water and salt, shaped around melty cheese and cooked on a hot griddle until golden-flecked and crisp at the edges.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 16 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 56 min
Makes: 8 pupusas (about 5 inches / 12 cm wide)

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Steps

Before you start

Use masa harina made for tortillas and tamales (such as Maseca or Bob's Red Mill), not cornmeal or corn flour. Cornmeal will not hold together.
Shred the cheese and set up a small bowl of water mixed with a little oil for wetting your hands. Dough dries out quickly, so you want this ready before you shape.
Warm the water to about 100°F (38°C), comfortably warm to the touch but not hot.
Read the whole recipe first. The dough needs a 15-minute rest, and you will cook in two batches.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the masa harina and salt together.
- Pour in the warm water (450 ml / 1¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon).
- Mix with your hands, squeezing and folding, for 2 to 3 minutes until no dry flour remains and the dough comes together in one mass.
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Ready when: Dough forms a cohesive, slightly sticky ball with no dry patches.
Tip: Add the water all at once but hold back if your masa brand is very fine; you can always add more later.
2
Knead and rest
- Knead in the bowl for 2 minutes until smooth and soft.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes so the masa fully hydrates.
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Ready when: Dough feels like soft, smooth play dough.
Tip: Keep the dough covered at all times; it forms a dry crust quickly.
3
Test and adjust
- Pinch off a golf-ball piece and flatten it into a disc about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- The edges should not crack.
- If they crack, knead in 1 tablespoon of warm water at a time.
- If the dough sticks to your palms, knead in 1 tablespoon of masa harina.
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Ready when: Disc holds together with smooth edges and does not stick to dry fingers.
Tip: Fixing the texture now saves a lot of frustration when stuffing.
4
Portion the dough
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces of about 100 g (3½ oz) each, roughly the size of a large lime.
- Roll each into a smooth ball and keep them under the damp towel.
- Stir 1 tablespoon of the oil into the bowl of cool hand water.
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Ready when: Eight smooth balls with no cracks.
5
Heat the griddle
- Set a griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat and let it heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lightly brush with a little of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
- Do this while you shape the first pupusas.
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Ready when: A drop of water sizzles and evaporates within a couple of seconds.
Tip: If the surface smokes heavily, reduce the heat slightly, or the outsides will burn before the cheese melts.
6
Stuff the pupusas
- Dip your hands in the oiled water and shake off the excess.
- Take one dough ball and press a deep well into the center with your thumb, forming a cup with walls about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Add 1 oz (28 g) of shredded mozzarella.
- Fold the edges up and over the cheese, pinch to seal completely, and roll back into a ball.
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Ready when: Cheese is fully enclosed with no gaps in the seam.
Tip: Do not overfill. Too much cheese bursts through the dough and burns on the griddle.
7
Pat out the discs
- With wet hands, gently pat the stuffed ball back and forth between your palms, flattening it into a disc about 5 inches (12 cm) wide and ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Keep the edges smooth.
- If cheese peeks through, pinch the dough over it and re-pat.
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Ready when: Even disc with no tears and no visible cheese.
Tip: Rewet your hands often; dry hands cause cracks at the edges.
8
Griddle first batch
- Place 4 pupusas on the hot griddle without crowding.
- Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottoms are golden with brown flecks.
- Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side.
- Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with a towel.
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Ready when: Both sides are golden-brown with darker spots, the edges feel firm, and a little cheese may ooze and crisp at the edge.
Tip: Resist pressing down with the spatula, which pushes the cheese out.
9
Cook second batch
- Wipe the griddle if any cheese has burned on, brush lightly with the remaining oil if dry, and cook the remaining 4 pupusas the same way.
- Serve hot right away.
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Ready when: Golden-brown flecks on both sides and cheese is melted when you gently squeeze the edge.
Tip: Serve with curtido (cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa, as is traditional.

Good to know

Tips

The dough should feel like soft play dough: it should hold a smooth edge when pressed but not stick to your hands. Cracks mean add water; stickiness means add masa harina.
Keep your hands wet with the oiled water throughout shaping. It prevents sticking and keeps the dough supple.
Use low-moisture cheese. Fresh, wet cheese makes steam that can split the pupusas.
Cast iron holds heat best, and a well-heated surface gives the signature brown-flecked crust.

Make ahead

"Shape the stuffed, patted pupusas up to 4 hours ahead. Stack them between sheets of parchment, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate, then cook straight from the fridge, adding about 1 minute per side. The raw dough can be made, wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; knead in a splash of water to soften before using."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store cooked pupusas in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze cooked pupusas, separated by parchment, for up to 2 months. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side (add 2 minutes per side if frozen), or until hot throughout."

Substitutions

low-moisture mozzarella → Oaxaca cheese, quesillo, or a mix of mozzarella and Monterey Jack. Oaxaca and quesillo are the closest to traditional melting cheeses.
low-moisture mozzarella → refried beans (about 2 tablespoons per pupusa), or beans and cheese. Use thick, well-drained beans so the filling does not make the dough soggy.
neutral oil (such as canola or avocado) → melted lard or vegetable shortening. Lard gives a more traditional flavor on the griddle.
masa harina → rice flour-based pupusa flour (harina de arroz). Use the water ratio on the package; the texture is slightly crisper and chewier.