empanada dough recipe

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice off the top of a small garlic head, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30-40 minutes until soft. Mash the cloves to form a puree.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, smoked paprika, and dried oregano.

Add the chilled and cubed vegetable shortening to the dry ingredients. Use fingertips or a pastry blender to work the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.

Add the roasted garlic puree and gradually pour in the ice-cold water, mixing with a spoon or hands until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overwork the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead for 1-2 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Form into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the rested dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of approximately 3 mm (1/8 inch).

Use a round cookie cutter (10-12 cm or 4-5 inches diameter) to cut out individual empanada discs. Gather scraps, re-roll once, and cut additional discs.