For quite sometime I have been searching for a sweet, soft yeast dough for preparing empanadas. I have worked with several yeast doughs for pizza, Mexican sweet bread, conchas, pan de huevo and pan de muerto in the passed. Finally a few weeks ago, I saw a picture on Pinterest of what looked like those dark brown, soft pumpkin empanadas my Mom used to purchase at la panaderia. I quickly looked it up and as I read, it sounded just like what I was looking for. Of course the measurements were not in cups and teaspoons, but in kilos and grams. And a recipe with quantities that could feed a whole quiñceanera party, lol! So after a few conversions here and there and a few La Piña added touches, this is what I came up with. I cannot say enough about this dough recipe. If you like a dough that’s easy to work with and bakes up soft and stays soft for days, this one is it!
The post is recently update with some new photos! My goal was to achieve the look of the soft empanadas de calabaza(Pumpkin Empanadas) traditional sold at the Mexican bakery. It had been a while since I revisited this recipe, so it was time to update it. Especially since I have my stand mixer now! Check out the notes on the recipe for the stand mixer directions.
Rolling out the dough balls so they resemble an oblong shape is what I need to achieve “La Panaderia” look! Right below are the links to find the recipes for both the pumpkin and pineapple filling.
Pumpkin Filling (Relleno de Calabaza)
https://pinaenlacocina.com/conservas-calabaza-mexican-family-traditions/
Pineapple Filling (Relleno de Piña)
https://pinaenlacocina.com/empanadas-mexican-hand-pies/
There is no need to brush the inside edges with egg or water for them to stick securely. As long as you have a nice and thick filling they should be fine. Dulce the leche caramel or cajeta boils to quickly for these and will leak out. One way to prevent it is to mix in some egg yolk to the caramel. But then it changes the texture of the caramel as it bakes. Some people freeze or refrigerate the filled caramel empandas to prevent this from happening, but it does’t always work.
Piloncillo y Canela -Masa Para Empanadas(Empanada Dough)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour sifted, plus more for later
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 1/3 cups warm milk at least 110 degrees F
Instructions
Directions
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until you have small crumbles. Cut in the piloncillo sugar and yeast until well incorporated.
- Mix in the eggs and cinnamon. Gradually add in the warm milk until dough forms. Transfer to a flat surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes. If dough is too dry, add a little more milk. If it's too sticky, mix in a little more flour. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Once dough rises, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Pull off enough dough to make a 1 1/2 ounce dough ball. Roll out to about 4 inches in diameter. Fill with 2 tablespoons of filling. Fold over and press gently around the filling to take out any air. Gently press with the palm of your hand.
- Leave as is or you can pinch and fold over to seal. Repeat until done and transfer onto lined baking sheets. Brush the tops of empanadas with milk. Bake for 20-22 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown. For a darker brown, turn broiler on high for less than one minute. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Eat within a few days for fresher empanadas.
Notes
The photos below are from the first time I attempted the recipe. I mixed and kneaded it all by hand. I did not get that nice brown color on these because I topped them with toasted coconut.
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I have been looking for this yeast dough recipe as well! Can hardly wait to make these
Hi Martha! It does yield a very soft empanada. Of course, we will never know the panaderia secrets, but it’s a delicious homecook’s version for sure.
Could I use all purpose flour instead?
Debra, I don’t see why you couldn’t use all purpose flour. The bread flour just has more protein which helps develop the gluten. You should be fine though.
Hello! This recipe sounds pretty wonderful, would i be able to use water instead of milk?
Thank you!
Hi Sara, I don’t see why you would not be able to use water. No problem.
I tried the dough recipe yesterday and I really liked it! This is closest one I have found that looks and taste like the ones from the panaderia!! I’m looking forward to trying out your other recipes!!!
Oh, that’s so wonderful to hear Indira!!!! I know I am always in search of the recipes that reminds me of home and I experimented with this one for quite sometime before I was happy with it.
Hello Sonia. Thank you for posting this recipe. I love baking and am definitely going to give this a try. Would you happen to have the original formula in grams? It’s actually easier for me to weigh the ingredients. 😉
Hi Mike, no sorry I don’t have an original recipe in Spanish. I just took notes when I researched recipes a few years back and adapted the recipe from my notes.
Normally don’t do comments but this one just made my day! I’ve tried a few recipes but they’re just not like the panaderia ones. While reading thru this one I can already taste it. Thank you for sharing your love for the kitchen and these will be recipes to hand down to my kids.
Thank you so much Antonia. I tested and experimented with many recipes until I finally was happy with the results of this one. I wrote down many notes from many Mexican recipes and this was what I came up with. I have been working with yeast dough for a few years now. This is definitely a soft empanada. let me know how you like it.
If i wanted to make these with camote as filling or any filling. When and how would I do that?
For the camote, you would follow the pumpkin filling recipe, except that the camote cooks quicker. I don’t have a camote filling recipe on my blog. I like to prepare all fillings a few days ahead of time.
This is a really great recipe! I was looking for a dough recipe similar to the one you posted.
What does parchment paper serve as? I didn’t have any parchment paper, so I used a non-stick baking sheet instead.
I also had a question. Why do you brush the tops of the empanadas with milk?
Parchment paper in case they leak out. Which dough recipe? The milk wash gives them that nice brown color.
Thank you so much for finding and sharing this recipe. I’ve been looking for a recipe like the one my abuela had for the empanadas she made. It was amazing when I first started making the masa with your recipe, I suddenly remembered seeing the flour and the masa in the various stages, en la cocina de mi Mama Carmelita. And it smells and tastes JUST LIKE IT, too. La unica cost distinta is that she used manteca and I chose to use coconut oil shortening to make them vegetarian so I could share with everyone.
Hi Amira! I am so happy that the recipe brought back those cherished memories of your abuela. Food memories are the best. I am happy I continued testing the recipe until I was happy with it. I will try it with manteca next time for sure!
When do you let the masa rise ? Does it rise once or twice? I made them and the taste was delicious. The problem is I felt like the bread / empanada was extremely think
Ludy, the texture of this dough is supposed to. be like a slightly dense, but still soft bread. Its supposed to be a little thick to hold in that filling. The dough actually begins to proof a second time as you roll and fill them. You can cover them after you fill them and let them proof a little longer, if you like.
Oh man! This recipe is legit. I am so in love with these empanadas. A huge bonus was getting to experience calabaza en tacha for the first time. Where has that been all my life? Thank you for all the effort you put into research. I am now a subscriber and I look forward to viewing some of your other recipes.
Thank you so much Thomas!!!
Most recipes call for anise tea. You have milk. Is the cinnamon flavor strong enough? Also, I love soft fluffy pan de semita; you wouldn’t happen to have that recipe?
Some empanada recipes do call for milk. I have other recipes with anise/cinnamon tea. The cinnamon flavor is subtle, but if you would like to add more, you can .
So close to the panaderia, just added ground anise seed.
Delicious. Thank you!
I am happy you enjoyed the recipe Diane!
Thank you so much for sharing your Pumpkin Enpanadas recipe. Every Pumpkin recipe that I would google, the empanadas would come out looking like McDonalds Apple pies. I wanted the brown dough just like you find at a Panaderia (mexican Bakery). I used your recipe and the empanadas were a hit. Everyone loved them. Again, Thank you.
Hi Debra! I am sooo happy that you tried out the recipe and enjoyed the results! I too was in search for those same flavors and textures that reminded me most of the pan dulce I grew up with. After a few test runs, I was happy with this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to write to me!
I love love love this recipe! My empanadas came out delicious! But, I did have a problem with them not sealing like they should. They kind of looked like just opening clam shells when they came out of the oven. Do you know what I did wrong? I tried both a fork to seal and my thumb print, and neither of them worked. Your pictures look almost like you twisted the dough, they look so pretty. If you have any ideas on what I can do next time, I would appreciate it!
Hi Ann-Margaret, best suggestion would be not to let the empanadas sit too long after you fill them. The longer they sit, the more they will proof for the second time. This may cause them to open up slightly when they bake.
Hi Sonia, this recipe looks n sound most like my grandma’s whose from Mexico. Is there not anise in the recipe? Gonna try this week. I prepared the Camote filling yesterday. Thanks a million ..,
Hi Jesse, you most certainly could add some crushed anise seeds or ground anise to the recipe. The original empanada dough recipe that mom used to prepare is different from this one, not made with yeast and it does include a tea prepared with anise and cinnamon. I also add anise to a few of my pan dulce recipes. Just mix in the anise with the canela in the steps of the recipe. for this amount of masa, I would ad at least a full teaspoon.
I loved this recipe! I made mine with sweet potato (camote) they were delicious!
Thank you Monica!