Capirotada
This is a dish of assembly and balance. The goal is to avoid turning the bread into mush by managing the temperature of your syrup and the texture of your toasted base.
Dry bread is not a suggestion, it is a requirement.
Use a crusty bolillo or baguette cut into thick slices and toasted until they are essentially croutons. If the bread is soft, the final dish will be gummy.
- large heavy-bottomed pot
- deep ceramic baking dish
- mesh strainer
What goes in.
- 6 cupsstale bolillo or baguette, sliced 1-inch thick and toasted
- 8 ozaged cotija or queso añejo, crumbled
- 2 conespiloncillo (about 8 oz each)
- 3 cupswater
- 2cinnamon sticks
- 3whole cloves
- 1/2 cupraisins
- 1/2 cuppeanuts, toasted and salted
Steeping the aromatics
The syrup must be strained before assembly to ensure a clean texture. Focus on dissolving the piloncillo completely over medium heat before letting it simmer long enough to thicken slightly, creating a glaze rather than a thin tea.
The method.
Prepare the syrup
Bring the water, piloncillo, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil in a pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid reduces and smells deeply of molasses. Strain and keep warm.
Toast the bread
Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brown them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until golden and rock-hard. This prevents them from collapsing under the weight of the syrup.
Assemble the layers
Grease your baking dish. Arrange a layer of bread, then scatter with a portion of the cheese, raisins, and peanuts. Repeat until ingredients are used, ending with a generous layer of cheese.
Apply the syrup
Slowly pour the warm syrup over the bread, moving from the edges to the center. Use a spoon to gently press the bread down to help it absorb the liquid without breaking the structure.
Bake
Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is browned and the edges are bubbling.
Other turns to take.
Fruit additions
Add sliced bananas or diced apples to the layers for texture.
Spiced heat
Add a small piece of star anise or a dried chili pod to the syrup while it simmers.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the syrup looks too thin, keep simmering it. You want a syrup that coats the back of a spoon.
Do not skip the peanuts; the salt cuts through the heavy sweetness of the piloncillo.
Let the dish rest for at least 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven to allow the syrup to settle.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use fresh bread?
No. Fresh bread contains too much moisture and will disintegrate into a paste. The bread must be thoroughly dried or toasted.
How do I know if it's done?
The bread should be soft but hold its shape, and the syrup should have been mostly absorbed, with a little still pooling at the bottom of the dish.
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