Empanadas Ricas » Blog Archive » Empanada press. Empanadas Ricas. Empanada Dough. Seal the Deal: Repulgues for Empanadas. Anyone can seal an empanada with the tines of a fork, but if you're interested in a more authentic look for this classic South American turnover, try your hand at a fancy repulgue.
The repulgue refers to a special method for crimping or folding the edges of the dough in order to close the empanada. Apart from its obvious aesthetic value, the repulgue does a bang-up job of sealing in the filling, which is crucial since empanada leakage is just, well, embarrassing. The repulgue fulfills one other important function: a means to ID your empanada.