Hornazo

Hornazo de Salamanca

A hearty, rustic Spanish meat pie from Salamanca traditionally eaten during Holy Week (Semana Santa) when observant Catholics abstain from meat — but hornazo is so beloved it's eaten anyway. The double crust encases hard-boiled eggs and a generous mix of cured pork products, creating a portable feast that travels beautifully for picnics.

Prep

45 min

Cook

50 min

Total

95 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) lard, traditional; can substitute with olive oil, but lard is authentic
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) dry white wine, Spanish table wine
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) water
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •200 g (7 oz) Spanish chorizo, cured, semi-dry (semicurado), sliced into thick coins
• •200 g (7 oz) lomo embuchado, cured pork loin, sliced into thick coins; can substitute with another cured pork
• •150 g (5¼ oz) jamón serrano, in thick chunks
• •150 g (5¼ oz) tocino ibérico, cured pork belly; substitute with thick-cut pancetta if unavailable
• •6 whole (6 large) eggs, 1 raw for wash + 5 hard-boiled for filling

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the lard and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Pour in the wine and water and bring together into a stiff dough (you may need a splash more water). Knead briefly for 2–3 minutes until smooth, then wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. The dough should feel firm — it is intentionally short and a little crumbly, not elastic like bread dough.
2. 2 Hard-boil 5 of the eggs: lower them into boiling water and cook for 9 minutes from cold. Chill in iced water, then peel and set aside.
3. 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
4. 4 Roll out two-thirds of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a round roughly 35 cm (14 in) in diameter. Lift it onto the baking sheet.
5. 5 Layer the cured meats evenly over the base, leaving a 3 cm (1¼ in) border: chorizo first, then lomo, then jamón, then tocino. Press them down gently.
6. 6 Halve the peeled hard-boiled eggs lengthwise and arrange cut-side up over the meats, nestling them in.
7. 7 Roll out the remaining dough into a slightly smaller round (about 30 cm / 12 in) and drape it over the filling. Crimp the edges firmly together to seal, then roll or tuck the excess underneath to form a raised rim.
8. 8 Beat the remaining raw egg with a fork and brush generously over the entire top of the pie. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 small steam holes in the centre.
9. 9 Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown all over and sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature at the centre of the pie should reach at least 75°C (165°F) when measured with a probe.
10. 10 Cool on the tray for at least 20 minutes before slicing — hornazo is traditionally eaten lukewarm or at room temperature, never piping hot. Cut into wedges and serve.