Recipe dough for empanada

As with croquettes, empanadas are one of those versatile dishes that accept all kinds of fillings. You just need a good empanada dough and your favorite ingredients. Since this dough is key, there is nothing better than having a suitable empanada recipe, which serves as the basis for a great filling.

Chicken, tuna with tomato, ratatouille, cheese… When we look for empanada recipes, the truth is that we have as many options to choose from as our imagination wants to invent. That is why it is interesting to know how to make homemade dumplings, which gives us more versatility when choosing that filling and its finish. In addition, this recipe allows us to make a healthier and healthier product than many industrial proposals, especially in the case of the dough for baked dumplings, which, as it is not fried, is much healthier.

Best of all, making an empanada dough is not too complex. It is enough to have a series of ingredients that we all have in the kitchen and a preparation system in which it is not necessary to resort to clay ovens or a high-level kitchen robot.

You have the proof in the recipe for the empanada dough that we offer you below, with which you can enjoy a good homemade empanada and let your imagination run wild when it comes to surprising your friends with a spectacular filling. So we cut corners and get straight to the point.

The ingredients

To start, we are going to see the ingredients that we will use in our empanadilla dough recipe. Among these ingredients we have:

– 500 grams of common or conventional flour

– half a tablespoon of sugar

– half a tablespoon of salt

– 40 grams of butter

– 235 milliliters of water

As we can see, it is one of the simplest options we have when it comes to dumpling recipes. As a variation, we can change the butter for the same amount of olive oil, giving our empanada recipe a healthier touch. It is important that this oil is not too intense or does not have much flavor because, if not, it can change the taste of our empanadilla dough.

By the way, although we are talking about wheat flour, if you want to enjoy a dough for Argentine empanadas, you only have to replace half of the wheat flour that we have mentioned with corn flour. A change that is also common in the Venezuelan empanada, which gives it a different flavor and texture with a very nice crunchy point. For this reason, corn flour is also common when looking for a recipe for baked dumplings, with which it is easier to achieve that crunchy touch.

preparing the dough

Once we have the necessary ingredients, it is time to know how to make empanadas, logically starting with their dough. In case we use butter, it will be necessary to melt it in a saucepan, trying not to burn it. The same precaution that we must take if we heat it in the microwave.

In a suitable container, place the flour and add the salt and sugar. Stir the mixture until it is well integrated. Once mixed, we sift it, so that it takes on an adequate touch. Finally, we will open a central space in the mass, like a volcano.

In this inner area is where we will add the melted butter and warm water, to start with the mixture. It will be done for about 5 to 8 minutes, until you get a homogeneous and slightly sticky ball of dough. This dough is left in the container for about 30 minutes, covering the container with a cloth. This rest allows the dough to gain in finish and offer better results when it comes to rolling it out, being a key step in any empanada recipe that is required.

the stuffing

Once we have completed all the steps of our empanadilla dough recipe, it is time to prepare the filling. And as we said at the beginning, here the possibilities skyrocket. What we must be clear about is that the filling must have the least amount of liquid possible. Therefore, if we make any preparation, it is essential that it is as defatted as possible and also that it is properly drained.

It is also important that if this filling is cooked, it stays at its point, taking into account the time needed for the final baking. For example, if we use chicken breast, we should not prepare it completely, so that the last blow of the oven is the one that finishes off the preparation of this filling. A key trick when it comes to how to make perfect dumplings.

cooking the empanadas

We have the dough, we have the filling and it is time to finish off our delicious empanadas. We will start by spreading the dough with a rolling pin, until it reaches the right thickness. To proceed with the cutting of the dough, we can use a glass or cup of good diameter, adapted to what you need. In case you make a complete empanada, one of the large and square ones, then you just have to cut the dough into two halves of the same size, one of which will go on top and the other on the bottom.

To proceed with the assembly, we will place an adequate amount of filling in the center of the empanada, closing it on the sides with a fork so that it does not come out. In case of being a square empanada, we will pour the filling inside, on the inside and leaving the edges open for closing. In this case, the closure is made through the edges, raising those of the lower part over the upper part until achieving that closure.

Once this is done, we only have to bake the empanadas. To do this, we need to preheat our oven or mini oven (in this link you can find several products to analyze) to a temperature of 180 degrees. It is highly recommended to use the up and down heat function, as well as to use the fan function, in case it is included. Once the empanada is placed on a tray lined with baking paper, all that remains is to cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its thickness and size. Still, it never hurts to take a look at it, so it doesn’t burn.