3-2-1 Dough for Baked Empanadas
A simple and versatile 3-2-1 empanada dough made with flour, butter, and evaporated milk. Perfect for baked sweet or savory empanadas, easy to work with, freezer-friendly, and ideal for fillings like pineapple jam, chiverre, guava, dulce de leche, chicken, or beef.
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- 1 Rolling Pin
- measuring cups
- Round cutter
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 480 grams
- 2 sticks sticks of unsalted butter 226 grams
- 1 cup evaporated milk or water 150ml
- 1 egg for baking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, butter, and sugar or salt, if using. Mix with your hands until the mixture has a sandy texture.
- Add the evaporated milk little by little while mixing. Continue adding until the dough comes together and feels soft, but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, prepare the filling you are going to use.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle a little flour over a flat surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it reaches the desired thickness, about 2 to 3 millimeters.
- Cut the dough into circles using a round cutter. Place the filling on one half of each circle, making sure not to overfill them.
- Brush or place a little water around the edge of each dough circle, then fold and close the empanadas. Press the edges well to seal.
- Place the empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate them for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until golden brown. The baking time will vary depending on the filling, so use the color of the empanadas as your guide. Usually from 30-40 minutes.
Notes
- If you are making savory empanadas, you can add 1 teaspoon of salt to the dough to enhance the flavor.
- If you prefer sweet empanadas, you can add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the dough for a softer, slightly sweeter taste.
- If you use salted butter, you do not need to add extra salt to the dough.
- You can substitute the heavy cream with regular milk or even water, depending on your preference or what you have at home.
- The bigger the circle, the bigger the empanada. Start with a 5-6 inches in diameter.