How to Fill and Shape Empanadas

By Marian Blazes, About.com Guide

Although you do want plump, well-stuffed empanadas, it's important not to overfill them. You'll end up with filling that leaks out in the oven, making a mess. (Those empanadas still taste good, however, so no need to throw them out or anything!).

Place a proportional amount of filling in the center of the dough circle, making sure you have a clean margin of dough all the way around. Try not to spill the filling onto the edges of the dough. The fat in the filling will make the edges of the dough greasy and they won't be able to seal together well. Some people like to hold the circle of dough in the palm of their hand and fill the empanadas while cradling them in their hand. That can help you judge the proper amount of filling, because the empanada dough will fold around the filling and you can see exactly how much it can hold, but it's harder to keep the filling from touching the edges of the dough (and ruining the seal) with that method.

Previous

• Tips and Techniques for Beautiful Empanadas
• Shaping Empanadas - The Dough
• Filling the Empanadas
• Sealing the Empanada
• Braiding the Edge - The Repulgue
• Ready to Bake

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