Pastel de Feira

Pastel de feira — the thin, blistered, deep-fried pastry stuffed with molten cheese or spiced ground beef — is inseparable from the Brazilian street market (feira) experience. The dough owes its unique translucent crunch to cachaça or white vinegar worked into the flour, creating layers that shatter and bubble violently in the hot oil. Sold piping-hot in wax paper bags, eaten standing at the market, pastéis are a fixture of São Paulo's immigrant Japanese-Brazilian market culture and now a beloved late-night snack across the country.

Serves: 4 (makes 8 pastéis)

Ingredients

Dough

• 300g (2⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) cachaça or white vinegar
• 120–140 ml (½ cup) warm water

Cheese filling (for 4 pastéis)

• 200g (7 oz) mozzarella, grated or thinly sliced

Beef filling (for 4 pastéis)

• 200g (7 oz) ground beef
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Frying

• 1 litre (4 cups) neutral oil for deep-frying

Instructions

1. Make beef filling first: heat oil, sauté onion 3 minutes, add garlic 1 minute. Add ground beef; cook, breaking up, for 6–8 minutes until cooked through. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Add parsley. Cool completely before using.
2. Mix flour and salt. Add oil and cachaça; mix briefly. Add warm water gradually, kneading until a smooth, firm dough forms — about 5 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth; rest 30 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece paper-thin, roughly 15 × 20 cm (6 × 8 inches) — almost translucent.
4. Place filling on one half of each rectangle, leaving a 1 cm (½ inch) border. Fold dough over; press edges firmly and crimp with a fork to seal.
5. Heat oil to 180°C (356°F) in a deep pan. Fry pastéis in batches of 2, about 2–3 minutes per side, until deeply golden and blistered. Drain on a wire rack, not paper — paper traps steam and softens the crust.
6. Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes: The cachaça (or vinegar) is what creates the iconic blistered, glassy crust — do not omit it. Roll the dough as thin as possible; any thickness and the crust becomes bread-like instead of shattering. Eat within 3 minutes of frying.