Fried Bread (Cachanga)
Crisp, golden disks of lightly sweetened dough, fried until they puff and crackle, then enjoyed hot with coffee or alongside fresh cheese. A beloved breakfast across Peru's markets and kitchens.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Mix the dough
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and . Add the melted butter and warm water, then mix and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and no longer sticks to the bowl.
- 500 g flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp
- 40 g melted butter
- 250 ml warm water or milk
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away cleanly from the bowl
Let it rest
Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls out easily.
- whole batch the dough from step 1
✅ Done when: dough feels relaxed and slightly softer than before
Shape the disks
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Heat the oil
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Fry until golden
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Drain and serve
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Mix the dough
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and . Add the melted butter and warm water, then mix and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and no longer sticks to the bowl.
- 500 g flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp
- 40 g melted butter
- 250 ml warm water or milk
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away cleanly from the bowl
Let it rest
Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls out easily.
- whole batch the dough from step 1
✅ Done when: dough feels relaxed and slightly softer than before
Shape the disks
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Heat the oil
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fry until golden
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Drain and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Fried wheat breads like cachanga trace back to the wheat and frying techniques brought by the Spanish, which blended with Andean and coastal home-baking traditions over the centuries. Nearly every region of Peru has its own version, known by names like cachanga, chalpa or wawa pan, usually fried fresh each morning in markets and roadside stalls.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is prized for the contrast between its crisp, blistered crust and soft center, and for how well it pairs with a cup of coffee or a slice of fresh cheese, making it a staple of simple, satisfying Peruvian breakfasts.
💡 Fun Fact
In many Andean towns, vendors fry cachangas in large pans right at the market entrance, and the smell is often the first sign that the morning market has opened.
Across Peru
-12.05°S, -77.04°W
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