Authentic Mexican Empanada Dough Food

AUTHENTIC EMPANADA PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine sifted flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until crumbly. Add egg and pulse until just combined.
• Dissolve salt in warm water. Add gradually to the food processor and pulse until a soft dough ball forms. Turn ball into a bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Dust a work surface with flour and knead dough for 1 minute. Roll out thinly and cut into discs. Freeze discs for later use or use right away for your favorite sweet or savory empanadas.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
• Blend in the cold butter cubes using you fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (the mixture should be pea-size).
• In a small bowl whisk together egg, ice water and vinegar.
• Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will look somewhat lumpy).
• Transfer the mixture onto a LIGHTLY floured surface.
• Gather the dough together with your hands and gently knead with the heel of your hand once or twice (just enough to bring the dough together, do not overwork the dough or it will be tough!).
• Form the dough in a semi-flat ball or rectangle.
• Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• Roll out the dough, then cut into desired size circles.
• Fill with favorite fillings then close the dough over the filling as you would a pierogi.
• Brush the ends with egg wash then seal together with a fork.
• Bake as desired.

MASA PARA EMPANADAS: EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt and sugar.
• Cut the butter and lard (or shortening) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with 2 butter knives until fairly well blended.
• Whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cup water. Stir in 1/2 cup of the water-egg mixture, a little bit at a time, until the dough starts to come together smoothly, adding more as needed.
• Keep kneading the dough, adding more of the water-egg mixture as needed (you may need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough will seem a bit shaggy until it has thoroughly chilled.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. When ready to use, the dough should be soft and smooth, not elastic. If you poke the dough with your finger, the indentation should remain.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into desired thickness before cutting.
• Use in your desired recipe and enjoy.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
• Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

PICADILLO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the tomato and boil 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool 5 minutes, then peel and puree in a blender until smooth; set aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the onion, carrot, olives, raisins and the pureed tomato. Simmer until thick, about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Beat the egg with 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; set aside. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Working with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time, unfold on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch square, about 1/4 inch thick, using a floured rolling pin. Cut into four 5-inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of the picadillo mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold diagonally to form a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork.
• Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

EMPANADA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl. Rub the lard into the flour mixture with the tips of your fingers until it begins to resemble pea-sized pebbles. Next, add the ice water and mix until just combined. Press into a 6 inch disk and wrap in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• When you are ready to prepare the empanadas, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the disk into 4 chunks. Flour your work surface and roll one out with a floured rolling pin until it is 1/8 of an inch thick. You should be able to cut 6 four-inch rounds out of each (freehand with a sharp paring knife if you don't have a pastry cutter).
• Place a small amount of cold filling in the middle of each round, brush the edges with a bit of egg wash, fold into a half-moon, and crimp as desired -- some people fold the edges decoratively while others simply crimp with the tines of a fork.
• Place the prepared empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is blistered and well-browned.