Gluten Free Empanada/Pasty with Egg Yolk Glaze

I have used cottage cheese in other pastries and thought that it might have a good “binding” effect and moisture holding qualities in “pocket” dough.   The one shown here has tinyl little “cracks” in the dough but it doesn’t actually split – most did not even have the cracks at all.  The trick is to use a dough that  has good binding ingredients like the cottage cheese and xanthan gum.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough for Empanadas, Calzones, Pasty and other Pocket Foods.  Makes 12 6″ Empanada’s.
Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix:

3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup fine rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

Wisk the above ingredients together really well – set aside.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough:
2 1/4 cups Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix (above)
3 teaspoon xathan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons soft butter
3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
Wisk salt, guar gum and baking powder into flour mix. Add 4 teaspoons butter and rub in with hands or a fork.
In food processor process cottage cheese and oil together.  Add egg white and flour mix.  Pulse until it comes together Remove from processor bowl..  On counter knead the dough for about 2 minute until it becomes smooth.
Cover  your dough with plastic wrap while you make the filling.
Make your filling – a good one is a Pasty filling that I will post later.  The filling should not be runny.
To make empanada, pasty or Calzones roll the dough between plastic wrap and cut into large circles.  Place filling on one half , fold dough over and pinch /crimp well.  Place on greased baking sheet. Prick in center with fork. Glaze if desired with brushed on egg yolk.  Bake at 350 for 15 – 20 minutes until nicely browned.  Less baking and it will be a soft calzone – longer makes it more crispy.  I bake it until light brown the first time and then freeze.  Later when we eat them I will bake the frozen calzones until a darker brown and hot in center.
Another nice way of forming the calzones is to use the Birds Hill Enterprises Fried Pie Machine as shown below.

Birds Hill Fried Pie Machine with 6″ turnover die

 

Cover die with plastic wrap

 

Add ball of gluten free pasty dough

 

Cover with another piece of plastic wrap

 

Slice die back into machine

 

Close Fried Pie Machine

 

Open Machine and remove top plastic wrap.

 

Place pasty filling on front half of circle

 

Fold the hinged die in half to fold and crimp the pasty

 

Lift pasty out of die – the extra dough will come off

 

Baked gluten free pasty without the egg yolk glaze.