Chorizo and egg pie (hornazo)

This meat pie comes in various guises across Spain, but almost always includes hard-boiled eggs to symbolise the resurrection of Christ, either as a filling with chorizo and cured meat, or placed on top.

Credit: Feast magazine

• serves

  8

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 7 g yeast sachet
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 500 g (3⅓ cups) plain flour
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 25 g lard (see Note)
• 300 g fresh chorizo, thinly sliced
• 250 g streaky bacon, rind removed
• 5 eggs, hard-boiled, thinly sliced
• 1 egg, extra, lightly beaten

Chilling time 2 hours 30 minutes

Instructions

Place yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Add 1 tbsp flour and stir to combine. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles.

Place remaining 485 g flour and 1 tablespoon of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add yeast mixture, wine, olive oil, lard and 200 ml water, and knead for 9 minutes or until dough is smooth and quite sticky; add extra flour, if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 30 cm x 50 cm rectangle. Fold over into thirds from the shortest edge, wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, folding and resting three more times; rolling out from the shortest edge. 

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Cut dough in half and roll each piece out on a lightly floured work surface to a 30 cm x 50 cm rectangle. Cut a 10cm-thick strip off the longest side of each rectangle and reserve to decorate. Place one rectangle on a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Layer with chorizo, bacon and eggs, leaving a 2 cm border. Brush edges with eggwash, then place remaining dough sheet on top. Brush with eggwash and press edges to seal. Cut reserved dough into thin strips and arrange on top in a crisscross pattern. Brush with eggwash and bake for 35 minutes or until golden. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note

• Lard is from butchers and supermarkets.

Photography Derek Swalwell.

As seen in Feast magazine, May 2014, Issue 31. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.