Homemade churros: flour, water and salt vs the churrería rip-off

Homemade churros: flour, water and salt against the churrería rip-off

With the way grocery prices are going, some people have found in the good old churrera (a churro extruder) the last refuge of the bargain hunter. Flour, water and salt. Nothing else. That is all there is in the churros sold at churrerías in Madrid, according to an analysis that dismantles the supposed sophistication of commercial fried dough. The calculation is simple: a cup of flour, a cup of water and a pinch of salt cost pennies, while at the neighborhood churrería you already pay gold prices for a product that, at best, carries an aftertaste of reused oil that turns your stomach. The dough takes less time to make at home than it does to argue with the churro vendor.

The method holds no mysteries, but it does have pitfalls. The water-to-flour ratio allows up to five parts water to four parts flour, because too much water gives a lighter but still edible churro, while too much flour condemns you to a raw, doughy paste inside. The salt goes in when the water starts to boil, not before. And the dough rests for half an hour covered with a cloth. That is the secret that separates a crispy churro from a bland, soggy ring.

The churrera: the only expense worth making

The initial investment is the only point where the savings take a hit. A metal churrera with a lever costs between 15 and 30 euros, and plastic ones start at 5 euros at any hardware store. Some break within a year, others last six years without breaking a sweat. The recommendation is clear: the nozzle must have ridges. A churro without ridges traps air and can explode in your face with hot oil. This is no minor warning: oil burns are among the worst you can suffer in a kitchen.

Sunflower oil is the standard, although it is acknowledged that it breaks down at high temperature, and olive oil, healthier as it is, picks up a flavor that turns your stomach. The pan should be wide and the oil just enough to cover one finger. Pouring in liters is a mistake: if the layer is thick, the oil cools when you add the churros and they float in a lukewarm bath that leaves them raw. The sweet spot is hot without reaching smoking point.

Can you make the dough in a bread machine or stand mixer?

The question of whether a bread machine or a stand mixer can replace the human arm hangs over the matter. The short answer is that nobody has tested it conclusively. Churro dough is gummy and demands constant stirring; a powerful mixer could do it, but there is no documented experience. What is known is that the dough can be prepared the night before and left in the fridge or inside the churrera. In the morning, all that is left is to fry. The dough does not keep for more than a day.

The shape of the churro also matters. Shaping it into a loop makes it easier to pick up and drain with a fork or a hook, and even to fry several at once. If the dough is too runny and slides off when released, you can shape it directly in the oil, as is done with porras (the thicker Spanish fried dough sticks). Frying time is around a minute, neither too fast nor too slow.

The price of the churrería: from 8 pesetas to 30 cents

The economic argument is the one that carries the most weight. Some twenty years ago, a churro cost 8 pesetas and a porra, 15. Today, at a churrería, you pay 30 cents apiece. The average wage has not multiplied sixfold in that period, so the relative increase is a rip-off. Add to that the quality: the reused oil leaves a rancid aftertaste that many people notice and that you avoid at home.

Some claim that churros are the food of backward and underdeveloped people, the cause of Spain's low productivity. The accusation, made without evidence, ignores the fact that the recipe has become a symbol of economic resistance. Against it stands the evidence that a breakfast for four people costs less than a euro in ingredients. The debate over whether they are nutritious or just caloric can wait for another day.

Freezing is another advantage. Unfried churros can be frozen and then fried directly, taking care when separating them so they do not break. The dough also accepts milk instead of water, or a pinch of baking soda, depending on taste. To each their own trick.

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The discussion still has not settled whether it is worth buying a professional churrera or settling for a piping bag. The full calculation, with exact proportions and resting times, is in the original material. What nobody disputes is that homemade churros, done right, beat the churrería's by a landslide. Whether anyone dares tell the churro vendor that is another matter.