Empanada dough for baked Chilean empanadas (homemade pastry with lard)

The traditional recipe uses pork lard, which gives the shortest crust and the classic flavour. Vegetable shortening works just as well for texture and is the option with no animal ingredients in the dough. Butter also works in the same amount, giving a slightly crisper dough with a more buttery flavour; as it contains water, it may need 1-2 tablespoons less warm water. Oil is not a direct substitute: the dough loses its crumbly texture and bakes up harder.

Because room-temperature lard blends better with warm water, at about 40 °C: the dough stays supple, rolls thin without cracking and folds for the repulgue without breaking. With cold water the lard hardens into crumbs and the dough tears; with hot water it melts and the dough turns greasy and sticky. Warm is water you can touch comfortably.

At least 20 minutes at room temperature, wrapped in cling film, so the gluten relaxes and the dough does not shrink back when rolled. You can make it the day before and refrigerate it wrapped: before rolling, leave it out for 20-30 minutes so the lard softens. Cut discs also keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, separated with baking parchment and well covered.

About 3 mm thick and 16-18 cm across for a classic-size baked empanada, which takes a heaped tablespoon of pino, a quarter of egg, an olive and raisins. Thinner than 2 mm it tears under the filling; thicker than 4 mm it is heavy and underbaked at the edges. For cocktail empanadas cut 8-10 cm discs with half the filling.

It is designed for the oven: the lard and the 3 mm thickness give a short crust that browns with the egg wash. It can be fried, but it comes out thicker and absorbs more oil than a frying dough. For fried empanadas, the thin, elastic dough of the fried cheese empanadas is the better choice: it puffs in the oil and turns crisp.

Yes. The ball of dough freezes wrapped in cling film and inside a bag for up to 3 months; thaw it in the fridge overnight and let it come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before rolling. Cut discs freeze stacked with baking parchment between them, and are used as soon as they have thawed, supple but cold.

It shrinks back when it has not rested enough: the gluten is tense and springs back into shape. Leave it covered for 10 more minutes and try again. It tears or cracks when it lacks water or the lard was cold: knead in one more tablespoon of warm water until it is smooth. If it sticks while rolling, use little flour on the surface and turn the dough every few strokes rather than adding more flour, which toughens it.

Sift 500 g of flour with a teaspoon of salt and one of sugar, rub in 150 g of lard until it forms coarse crumbs and add 180 ml of warm water a little at a time. Knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and no longer sticky, wrap in cling film and rest for 20 minutes. Roll to 3 mm in two batches, cut 12 discs of 16-18 cm and fill them with cold pino.