How to Make Perfect Empanada Dough

5 from 3 votes

How to Make Perfect Empanada Dough

How to make the perfect empanada dough that can hold all of your fillings, but not take away from the flavor, while having no soggy bottoms!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

resting time1

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine: American, argentinian, hispanic, spanish

Servings: people

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Ruth Grindeland

Cost: $5

Equipment

No special equipment needed

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp sugar
½ cup margarine
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg (optional)
¾ cup warm milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Using a whisk, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to fully incorporate all ingredients. These are your dry ingredients.
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp sugar
Cut the margarine into small pieces and, using your hand's mix margarine into the dry ingredients. The result should look like bread crumbs.
1/2 cup margarine
Add the egg yolk and the milk in small amounts until the dough forms.
1 large egg yolk, 3/4 cup warm milk
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with the heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring the dough together.
Flatten the dough into a disk, then wrap in cling wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least1 an hour.
Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired circles using a pastry mat, bowl, plate, or glass. See notes for circle size suggestions.
Fill empanada with the desired filling/s and then fold in half and pinch into shape.
Whisk an egg and brush the top of the empanada with an egg wash for a shiny golden look.
1 large egg (optional)
Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

The size of your empanada depends on personal preference and what you are cooking. Here is the general rule of thumb I use when making empanada's I use the following guidelines.

Appetizer empanada - use a pastry mat or a bowl, cut the dough into 6-inch rounds.
Main course empanada - use a pastry mat or a plate, cut the dough into 8-inch rounds.
Dessert empanada - use a drinking glass to cut about 3-inch rounds.

* Depending on the size of empanada you make will determine the number of servings. To increase the recipe size, click on the desired multiplier in the upper right-hand corner of the recipe.

* The traditional shape of an empanada is a folded circle. However, there are many different ways to shape the dough. I like to make dessert Nutella empanada's that look like dumplings. Bottom line, have fun making different shapes.

Nutrition