Empanadas are one of those dishes that cannot be missing from your repertoire since they can be prepared with spicy stews or filled with jam, cajeta, or rice pudding. In addition to being a practical and easy dish to prepare, it is also profitable and economical, perfect for meetings, children’s parties, or even to start a business.
On this occasion, we explain how to make dough for savory empanadas, dough for fried empanadas, and dough for sweet empanadas in a simple way. As if that were not enough, we also have the best tips from our star chef to prepare these delicacies.
Dough for savory empanadas
This recipe to prepare salty empanadas is perfect for a family meal, as they can be filled with cheese, stews, meat, and more.
Dough for fried empanadas
This empanada dough recipe is enough to prepare eight portions; they will be very crispy!
Ingredients
- 3 cups of flour
- Two tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of oil
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, oil, and water in a bowl until you get the consistency of the dough. Let the empanada dough rest for 20 minutes.
2. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface, form dough balls, and spread them out.
3. Fill with the stew of your choice; it can be mincemeat, tinga, cheese, corn, slices, or chicken with mole. Close the empanadas.
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the empanadas for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
5. Drain the empanadas on absorbent paper to remove excess fat.
Dough for baked empanadas
If you prefer baked empanadas, this is the perfect recipe for you.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cold butter
- One egg
- 1/4 cup cold water
Instructions
1. Place the flour, salt, butter, egg, and cold water in a processor.
2. Form a ball of dough and wrap it in plastic wrap.
3. Refrigerate empanada dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut discs.
5. Fill with the stew of your choice, brush with the egg, and bake at 200 °C for 20 minutes.
Dough for sweet empanadas
Get to work and prepare dough for sweet empanadas, which you can fill with jam, cajeta, ate, rice pudding, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 180 grams of butter
- Two tablespoons of sugar
- 1/4 cups yogurt
- Two tablespoons of milk
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- One tablespoon of cinnamon
- One teaspoon of baking powder
Instructions
1. Mix the flour, butter, sugar, yogurt, milk, vanilla essence, and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Knead until you have a homogeneous consistency.
3. Cover the empanada dough with plastic wrap
4. Let stand in a bowl for 30 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm.
6. Cut circles with a 10 cm diameter cutter.
7. Fill the empanadas and close them with the help of a fork.
8. Place the empanadas on a tray, varnish with egg, and bake at 180 ° C for 20 minutes.
Tips to make the best empanadas
Tips for preparing salty empanadas
1. Don’t forget to add a tablespoon of sugar to the savory empanada dough, which will help balance the flavors.
2. It is necessary to rest the salty empanada dough for about 30 minutes before starting to work it.
3. In the case of Argentine empanadas, a touch of vinegar is added to the dough to make them more spongy.
4. The chef reminds us that you can season the dough for savory empanadas with seasoning powders, such as garlic, onion, oregano, and thyme.
Tips for preparing sweet empanadas
1. It is best to use the best quality butter when making sweet empanadas, as this will give you the best flavor and consistency in the dough.
2. It is essential to knead at the right time. Otherwise, the dough will not be crispy. The chef recommends using a food processor to make this empanada dough.
3. If you’re looking to save or start a business, you can substitute margarine or vegetable shortening for butter.
4. Remember that the amount of egg you add to the empanada dough is crucial; that’s why chef Yamilette recommends using yolks and thus easily controls the amount of moisture.
5. When adding cold water to the dough, she remembers to measure it in tablespoons to avoid adding too much.
6. It is possible to improve the yield of the dough by adding a little baking powder.
