Mesa IbéricaSPAIN · PORTUGAL
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empanadilla wrappers

Ready-made round sheets of dough made from wheat flour, water and a little fat, rolled thin and sold in stacks for filling and frying or baking small turnovers.

Empanadilla wrappers are pre-cut dough rounds, usually ten to twelve centimetres across, sold in Spain chilled or frozen and separated by sheets of film. The dough is made from wheat flour, water, salt and oil or lard; it is thin, smooth and slightly elastic, so it can be folded and pressed shut at the edge without tearing. Fried, it turns crisp and develops small blisters, while baked it stays firmer and more bread-like. There are versions meant for frying and versions meant for the oven, differing in thickness and fat content, and the choice decides the result. They can be found in Spanish and Latin American grocers, occasionally in the freezer section of well-stocked supermarkets labelled as empanada dough, and by mail order; Latin American discs are often larger and thicker.

Substitute:

The closest substitute is homemade dough of flour, water, oil, a splash of white wine and salt, rolled thin and cut into rounds. Shop-bought shortcrust or puff pastry can be cut to size, but it turns richer, more crumbly or flaky and suits baking better than frying. Wonton or gyoza wrappers work for small fried turnovers, though they are thinner and contain no fat, so the result is closer to an Asian fried dumpling.

Used in · 2 recipes

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