Empanada dough recipe

There's only two main choices when it comes to empanada dough, and it mirrors the typical choice you have when selecting what kind of tortilla to have with your Latin American dish; corn or flour. 

Making dough from scratch doesn't taste much different but is obviously more labor-intensive. You can also customize the ingredients by adding spices and herbs to compliment or contrast with the flavors of the proposed filling.

Flour:
For around twenty medium empanadas you'll need:

•     3 cups of all purpose flour
•     ¼ teaspoon of salt
•     6 oz of unsalted butter cut into 12 pieces, fresh out of the fridge
•     1 egg
•     4-5 tablespoons of water

Method:
1.    Combine the flour and salt in a bowl or food processor.
2.    Add the butter, egg and water and mix until it forms into a single lump of dough. No especially vigorous kneading is required. 
3.    Roll into a ball and place in the fridge for about half-an-hour.
4.    Roll out the dough on a cutting board and cut out discs around a small plate or with an appropriately-sized cutter.
5.    They can be used immediately or refrigerated/frozen for later.

Corn:
For around twenty medium empanadas you'll need:

•     3 cups precooked yellow cornmeal (Masarepa)
•     4 cups water
•     2 tablespoon vegetable oil
•     1 tablespoon Sazon Goya with Azafran (a dry seasoning available in Latin food stores containing cumin, garlic powder, and saffron.)
•     1 teaspoon salt

Method:
1.    Place the Masarepa, Sazon Goya and salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the water and oil and combine to form the dough. .
2.    Roll into a ball, cover and place in the fridge for about half-an-hour.
3.    Roll out the dough on a cutting board and cut out discs around a small plate or with an appropriately-sized cutter.
4.    They can be used immediately or refrigerated/frozen for later.

Of course, for sweet empanadas, you can add sugar and spices like ground cinnamon and ground cloves to the flour to compliment the flavors of the fillings.