I love empanadas, although it has been a while since I have last eaten them.
Because of the American football Super Bowl which is coming up soon, I decided to make the empanada dough ahead of time for freezing, so that they can simply be filled and baked on the day that they will be served. What a time saver!
If you weren’t already aware, empanadas are not exclusively a dish from Hispanic Latin America, but are also widely esteemed in Brazil, including both fried (pastel frito) and baked (pastel de forno) versions with sweet and savory fillings. Brazilians call these beauties “pastel” (in Mexico, a similar pastry is called an empanada, and through Mexican influence that is also the term by which the pastries have generally come to be known in English).
The baked empanadas (pastéis) are usually served with a cup of coffee (cafezinho), a glass of guaraná soda, or beer, while the fried ones are preferrably served with sugarcane juice, guaraná soda, or beer. They make for a quick afternoon snack or a great appetizer for parties and bar conversation (conversa de botequim).
I confess that I do prefer the baked empanadas (pastel de forno) for obvious reasons – they are less messy and greasy to prepare.
That is why our recipe for today is baked empanadas. There is a wide variety of possible fillings, but I picked what we call the pizza filling: ham, cheese, tomato, and oregano. It is like having empanadas and pizza in the same dish. 
Well, enjoy and have a great time with your friends and family watching the Super Bowl.
xx
Pizza Empanadas
(Pastel de Pizza)
Yield: About 10 – 12 medium or 18 small
Segment: Brazilian cuisine
For the dough:
(Please note, prepackaged refrigerated phyllo dough, or an empanada dough from your local Latin American grocery store can be substituted for dough made from scratch, if desired).
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), cold and cut into small pieces
1 large egg, chilled
5 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
In a food processor, mix the flour and salt together. Add the butter, egg, and water until a clumpy dough forms. Do not overwork the dough!!!
Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrapper, and chill in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
Then, unwrap and roll out the dough into a thin sheet over a floured surface, working from the center of the dough to the edges. Cut out round disc shapes using a round medium-size or small mold or cutter.
Use immediately or store in the freezer for up to 3 months (In this last instance, pile one disc on top of the other with plastic wrapper in between them. Wrap the pile well and store in a ziploc bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before filling them).
For the filling:
(In Brazil, we call this type of filling “pizza”)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shredded ham
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
About 12 cherry-tomatoes, sliced in half
A pinch of dried oregano
1 large egg (whites and yolk separated)
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix both the ham and cheese. Reserve.
Assemble the empanadas, adding a spoonful of the ham and cheese mixture on the center of each empanada disc. Top with 2 halves of a tomato and sprinkle a little bit of oregano. Brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg whites or a little bit of water although the whites are a better “glue” to seal the empanadas. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges gently with your fingers.
Then, press the edges of the empanadas with a fork to crimple. Lightly brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk thinned with 1/2 teaspoon of water. Layer the empanadas in a single layer in a deep baking pan or pyrex dish. Cover with aluminum foil (don’t let it touch the empanadas). Let the empanadas rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
Pre-heat the oven to 400º F (200º C) and bake for 10 – 15 (small) or 15 – 20 minutes (medium) or until golden. Serve warm by themselves, with your favorite dipping sauce (I used chimichurri sauce) plus a drink, or with a fresh salad.
Note: The dough recipe was adapted from Laylita’s Recipes.
You might also enjoy our Cod Cakes.
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Looks delicious Denise, and I love having a little package of yumminess I can hold in my hand
Thanks for your comment, Laura! They are almost over.
It was a big success at my house — even the girls ate them and asked for more…
I hope you participate in our giveaway. xx
Nothing better that a home made dough, specially for empanadas, which I guess is more latin than spanish
Thanks, Nydia! I agree…
Love these, they remind me of Italian galzone. I love savory and sweet fillings wrapped inside baked dough.
Julia:
Yes, they do remind Italian Calzone tastewise, although I think baked empanadas are much flakier than calzone!
They also have a thinner crust.
See ya soon! xx
These look amazing!
Thanks, Natalie!
My family loves these empanadas — even my children!!!
I hope you have the chance to make them. Have a great weekend!
P.S: I hope you participate in our giveaway, which one-question form is in this post above the recipe:
http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/brazilian-recipes/avocado-creme-brulee-and-giveaway/
These look so yummy! I love the melty cheese
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Me too…They are all gone by the way.
Wishing you a great weekend!!!
Denise amada,
Amo as suas receitas. Você está de parabéns.
Fiz as empanadas utilizando a massa folhada compradas já pronta no supermercado.
Como recheio: Piquei os tomates bem picadinhos, acrescentei cebola, óregano seco, ralei (ralo grosso) queijo prato e queijo de coalho, coloquei um pouquinho de azeite de oliva e um pouquinho de sal.
Pincelei com gemas de ovo e as bordas da massa eu amassei com um garfo. Recheei e levei ao forno pré-aquecido. A casa ficou perfumadíssima.
Meu erro foi (e aí eu deixo como sugestão para que outras pessoas não façam o que eu fiz) não colocar um papel manteiga na forma, ou untá-las, E não deixar o tempo de descanso antes de ir ao forno.
Desse modo, deixei-as dourar demais e o recheio esparramou por toda a forma, de modo que, ai esfriar, endureceu e ficou difícil retirá-las com facilidade. Algumas quebraram. No mais ficaram saborosíssimas.
Essa sua sugestão foi maravilhosa.
Quem fizer irá amar!
Obrigada por compartilhar conosco suas habilidades.
Que O Bom Deus lhe abençoe e multiplique seus dons!
Naná
Naná, irmã!
Obrigada por suas palavras de carinho!
O recheio esparramou por toda a forma provavelmemnte por 2 motivos:
1. O tomate picado e o azeite. O recheio de pastel deve ser o mais seco possível ou deixa a massa molhada.
É por isso que na minha receita pus um tomate pequeno (contem menos liquido), fatiado pela metade e virado pra cima (para que o liquido não escorresse facilmente molhando o resto do recheio). Jamais pique ingredientes que contem liquido como tomate (a não ser que todas as sementes e liquido sejam todos retirados primeiro) pois quando aquece no forno o liquido solta todo. A mesma coisa acontece com o azeite que já é liquido.
2. Pincelar a parte interna do círculo de pastel com clara de ovo ajuda a selar bem a massa. A clara atua como uma cola. Além disso, é necessario não encher muito o pastel para que quando for na hora de dobrar a massa para fechar, não impeça a selagem da massa a qual deve ser pressionada com os dedos bem e depois pressionada com um garfo. Do contrário, a massa se abrirá ou formará brechas no forno depois de aquecida.
Outra coisa: Jamais pincele a forma. Isso faz o pastel dourar demais na parte de baixo provocando alteracões no gosto da massa e também na textura. Aqui forro a minha forma com parchment paper (é uma folha de papel sem brilho e um pouco mais grossa que o nosso papel manteiga o qual aqui se chama wax paper). Veja aí o que seria o equivalente a parchment paper. Quando aquecido a altas temperaturas ele não escurece como o papel manteiga não.
Deixei a massa descansar na geladeira antes de assar os pastéis porque isso relaxa a massa fazendo mais maleável e também para que a pincelagem da gema enxugue mais.
Tudo que está nas minha receitas tem uma razão. Sei que as vezes não explico absolutamente tudo, mas tudo tem uma razão para que aqueles que seguem as receitas possam ter o resultado esperado, ou seja, ser bem-sucedido. Próxima vez, tente fazer seguindo esses passos e depois me diga o resultado por favor.
Um grande abraço e fica com Deus.
Perfect for the Superbowl! My daughter asked me yesterday what goodies I was making for the Superbowl on Sunday and I said “nothing”. I told her since the Broncos aren’t in it..I am taking a break!
Love these little parcels of pizza goodness!
So, 49′rs or Ravens?
Nazneen
Thanks, Nazneen!
Well, just because I lived my first 5 years in the U.S. in Northern California, I’ll say 49′rs – hopefully!
So sorry that your team will not be playing in that event…Have a great time with your family anyway!! xx
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