Argentinian food, Australian kitchens
Empanada Dough Recipe: Baked Pastry, Resting and Sealing Explained
Good baked empanada dough needs to bend around the filling, seal securely and cook through without becoming a thick bread-like shell. This guide gives a practical metric starting recipe and explains the decisions that matter more than a decorative fold. It is a home-style dough for baking, not Argentum's production recipe and not an instruction to pan-cook our frozen products.
Carnivore (pack of 4) - Frozen
Skip making pastry tonight. Four frozen Carnivore beef-brisket empanadas with their own ingredient list and cooking instructions.
View product and current optionsStart with the cooking method
Empanada pastry is not one universal dough. A recipe designed for baking can differ from one intended for frying, and regional styles also vary. Decide on the method before mixing. This version is for a conventional oven; it should not be treated as a tested frying or air-fryer formula. If you are cooking bought frozen Argentum empanadas, follow our official cooking guide instead of the homemade timing below.
Puff pastry can make an enjoyable filled parcel, but its layers, rise and fragility are different. Shortcrust can be tender but may crack when folded. Neither substitution produces exactly the same wrapper as a dough designed for empanadas. The useful question is not which pastry is universally correct, but which recipe matches the filling and cooking method you have chosen.
A metric starting batch
Use 500 g plain flour, 150 g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes, 8 g fine salt and approximately 180 ml water. Keep a little extra water available and add it gradually only if needed. This makes roughly 16 to 20 medium rounds, depending on diameter, thickness and how often scraps are rerolled. Flour absorption varies, so the final feel matters more than forcing every millilitre into the bowl.
You will also need a bowl, rolling pin, round cutter or plate, baking paper and trays. Weighing flour is more repeatable than scooping it into cups. For Australian cooks, remember that an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml; recipes written elsewhere may use 15 ml. Sticking to grams and millilitres avoids that ambiguity when scaling a batch.
Mix without making a paste
Stir flour and salt together. Rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with no large hard pieces. Add most of the water, mix, then bring the dough together. Add the remaining water a little at a time if the bowl still contains dry flour. The dough should hold together without sticking heavily to your hands.
Knead briefly until cohesive and reasonably smooth. Do not keep adding flour to a dry dough simply because it feels firm. Equally, do not chase a soft bread-dough texture by pouring in water. Flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for about one to two hours. This is a practical resting range; the dough should feel cool and relaxed before rolling.
Why resting makes rolling easier
If a circle repeatedly springs back, the dough may need more rest rather than more force. Work on half the dough while the other half stays covered. If the butter softens and the surface becomes greasy, return the dough to the fridge. Sydney's warmer days can make a kitchen noticeably less forgiving than a cool recipe studio.
Use a lightly floured surface and rotate the dough as you roll. Aim for an even sheet around 2 to 3 mm thick, then cut rounds around 12 to 14 cm across. These are home-cooking guides, not a specification for Argentum products. A thick edge and thin centre create different cooking rates, so consistency across the circle is worth more than perfect roundness.
Fill, seal and bake
Use a cooked filling that has cooled safely and is not wet. Put a modest amount in the centre, leaving a clean border. Wipe away filling or fat on the edge, lightly moisten if needed, fold into a half-moon and press the seam shut. A fork seal is a perfectly useful first approach. A decorative repulgue cannot rescue a seam that was never pressed together.
Place on a lined tray with space between the parcels. Brush lightly with egg yolk or olive oil if desired, avoiding puddles around the base. As a starting point, bake homemade medium parcels at 200°C conventional, or 180°C fan-forced, for about 20 to 30 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden and the filling is thoroughly hot. Size, filling and oven performance change timing. These are not the temperatures or times to substitute for packaged cooking directions.
Diagnose the result before changing the recipe
Cracking during folding can mean the dough is too cold, too dry or rolled too thin. Let a small piece soften slightly and test again before changing the entire batch. Shrinking circles suggest a rest is needed. Leaks are often a filling or sealing problem, especially if the filling is warm, watery or touching the seam.
A pale, damp base can come from wet filling, an overcrowded tray or pastry that is too thick. Move one variable at a time on the next batch. Keep notes on round diameter, filling quantity and oven setting rather than changing flour, fat, temperature and shape all at once. That makes your own kitchen results much easier to repeat.
Choose a filling with a clear role
Our chicken empanada guide covers a cooked chicken filling, while the corn empanada recipe concentrates on controlling moisture. The existing Salta-style empanada recipe is a separate regional approach, not a duplicate of this dough reference.
If rolling and filling is not what you want to do tonight, Carnivore is our frozen beef-brisket empanada. Its product page describes the actual ingredients and pack size. Homemade pastry and a ready-to-cook product answer different needs; neither needs to be presented as the only worthwhile way to eat an empanada. Keep raw dough and finished parcels under appropriate refrigeration, and follow NSW food-safety guidance when preparing and storing fillings.
Sources and further reading
Published 3 November 2026. This home-style guide explains our own suggested approach, with background reading below. It is not presented as a tested Argentum production recipe.
Primary background source · Further reference · Explore the Argentinian recipe hub