Campechanas
- 14 ounces lard or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 to 1 3/8 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups tepid water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Beat 2 ounces of the lard with 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a mixer with a hook attachment until almost fully combined.
- Gradually add the water and continue to mix on medium speed until the mixture comes off the sides of the bowl and is smooth, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half, cutting it with a bench scraper or knife but not tearing it, roll it lightly, and smear the tops with some of the remaining lard using your hands.
- Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine 4 ounces of the remaining lard with the butter and the remaining 1 cup flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until well combined.
- Set aside.
- Grease a work surface with some of the remaining 8 ounces lard and flatten one of the halves of the dough with your hands into a rectangle.
- Grease a thin rolling pin (see headnote) and roll the dough as thin as possible, without tearing, into a rectangle about 12 inches wide by 4 inches long.
- Turn the dough so the width is closest to you.
- Smear half of the reserved flour-fat mixture evenly on top of the rolled-out dough.
- Grease the rolling pin with a little more lard and roll the dough tightly but carefully onto the rolling pin.
- Make sure your hands are greased (use a bit more lard if you need to).
- Grab an end of the rolling pin with one hand and pull the dough out with the other.
- You will now have a dough that looks a bit like a snake.
- Stretch it out to the sides so that the roll is about 25 inches long and about 1/2 inch thick.
- Flatten the dough by lightly pressing it with your hands or the rolling pin and cut into twelve 4-inch pieces.
- Place on a baking sheet (no need to line it or grease it), and lightly flatten the rectangles with your hands so they are a bit like ovals.
- Repeat with the remaining half of the dough and the remaining half of the flour-fat mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Set the racks in the top half of the oven, smear a bit more of the remaining lard on top, and liberally sprinkle with the remaining 1 to 1 1/4 cups sugar (dont be shy).
- Tap any excess sugar from the baking sheets by tilting them, then bake, turning the sheets halfway through so they bake evenly (or bake them one at a time), until the pastries are puffed and slightly brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Increase the temperature to 425F and continue baking, watching closely, until the tops are shiny and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool before eating.
lard, flour, salt, sugar, tepid water, unsalted butter
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/campechanas-384171 (may not work)