Flaky pastries with piloncillo (coyotas)

This light, flaky, sugary pastry - two discs of dough, filled with brown sugar - is a favourite in the north-eastern Mexican state of Sonora.

Credit: Pati Jinich

• makes

  6

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Starter

• ½ cup (125 ml) lukewarm water
• 3 tsp grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar (see Note)
• 7 g (¼ oz, 2 tsp) active dry yeast
• ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

Dough

• ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• 3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, and cut into 1.2 cm (½ in) pieces (see Note)

Filling

• 225 g (½ lb - about 1¾ cups) grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar (see Note)
• 1½ tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

Standing/rising time: 30 minutes + 2 hours

Instructions

1. To prepare the starter, combine the lukewarm water, piloncillo or dark brown sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together until the yeast has dissolved. Whisk in the ½ cup flour and combine well. Cover and place in a warm, draft-free spot until foamy and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
2. To make the dough, add the ¼ cup water, 3 cups of flour, salt and butter to the starter and place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn on low speed and as soon as the ingredients are blended together turn the speed to medium. Beat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough gathers around the dough hook, slaps against the bowl and is very smooth.
3. Remove the dough and shape it into a ball. Butter one or two baking sheets. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, then divide each of these pieces into 8 equal pieces (24 in all). Roll each of the small pieces into a ball and place them on the buttered baking sheet or sheets. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen for at least an hour and up to 2 hours.
4. Arrange your oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 190°C (375°F). Cover two baking sheets with baking paper (parchment).
5. Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a 13 cm (5 inch) tortilla-like round, about 3mm (1/8 inch) thick. If you want perfect rounds you can trim your rolled out rounds with a 12-13 cm (4 ½ - to 5-inch) cookie cutter.
6. To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar with the flour and mix well.
7. Spoon 1½ tablespoons filling onto the centre of 12 of the dough rounds. Cover with the other 12 rounds and press together well to seal. Go around the edges with a fork and press to seal and also to decorate. Make a small hole in the centre of each coyote with the tip of a small knife, or gently cut an approximately 1.2 cm (half-inch) line through the top dough, taking care not to cut through to the bottom round. Place six coyotas on each baking sheet.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, switching the trays front to back and upper to lower halfway through until coyotas are golden brown and filling is bubbling and bursting out of the hole or cut line on top.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once completely cooled, keep covered.

  

Notes

• Piloncillo is an unrefined brown sugar popular in Mexican cooking; the same kind of sugar is also known as panela. Sold in hard blocks or cones, piloncillo is usually shaved or broken up before use. You can use brown sugar or rapadura sugar instead.

• As an alternative to all butter, you may use half vegetable shortening and half butter, or use all vegetable shortening.

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.