Baked Piroshki (Russian Hand Pie or Pierogi)

Boys,

Do you remember Saba? Bryson, I know  you do – that is where we found Lady, after all (the world’s greatest dog).

How about you, Lochlan? Do you remember the turtles?  What memories do you have from when we lived on a that small island in the Caribbean? You were so young!

My memories of it are many! The fruit trees, the ocean breeze, the lizards, lying on the still-warm-from-the-sun driveway at night trying to count the stars, the tiny tiny market, the smell (I am positive that Heaven must smell like the island of Saba), the little white houses with bright red roofs and dark green doors…

I think what I remember the most, though, is the people. The local people of Saba were so warm and welcoming and willing to answer all of my questions about the food and culture of Saba. The sweet older ladies of Saba welcomed me into their Thursday afternoon “Saba Lace” sewing time, and they patiently taught me the craft.

There was also a large population of people from all around the globe; we formed a loose cooking group. We would teach each other the recipes and techniques for our countries’ traditional foods.

While a small group of moms crowded into a tiny Saba kitchen and learned how to make things like these traditional Russian Piroshkis, you played with Lego on the sun porch with all the other littles, Lochlan. (Bryson, you were attending the tiny island school)

Granny M. gave me the gift of an adventurous spirit in the kitchen – Saba taught me to look beyond borders and see the beauty of other cultures and try everything!

love you two!

NOTE: 

I have been asked a question about the dough and quantity of flour, so I have added a few additional instructions and photos to show the texture and consistency of the dough.  The first thing I did was check back with my hand-written recipe from 16 years ago! Just to make sure that I didn’t make a mistake in the quantities. The Russian lady who taught me how to make these did not have a written-out recipe – she just knew how to make this from memory. As you can see, the quantities of the ingredients were more of a suggestion.  

A few of my tips from making this recipe many times!

I always use hard wheat.

Hard wheat has a higher protein content than soft wheat and thus produces more gluten, the elastic component of a dough that can capture and hold carbon dioxide (CO₂). Therefore, hard wheat is critical for yeast-leavened baked goods, but is also appropriate for a wide range of baking.  Best brand in America – King Arthur Flour

If you only have soft wheat plan on using more flour.

Knead, knead knead! It is so important to knead your dough for a long time. As you knead your dough, it develops gluten, which in turns helps the dough to be more ‘elastic’ and will give you a softer and much more pillowy bun.  Knead time? 8 to 10 minutes. In a stand mixer you will know the dough is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. 

As I am kneading I add a little extra flour, a spoonful at a time.  I measured it out today to see exactly how much I use as I knead the dough and found that just about 1/2 cup of additional flour was perfect.

You do not need a stand mixer (on Saba we just used our dough-covered hands!) it sure makes the 10 min knead that much easier if you do have one, though!  

This dough is a very soft and sticky dough, so keep your hands either well oiled or floured! 

Baked Piroshki (Russian Hand Pie or Pierogi)

Soft and fluffy bun with a savory meat filling.

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Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Russian

Servings 3 Dozen

Ingredients

  

Piroshki Dough

• 2 tsp yeast The original recipe called for 2 TBSP yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp melted butter The original recipe called for 4 to 6 tbsp melted butter. I generally use 4 tbsp of melted butter
• 3 cups flour I use a HARD WHEAT FLOUR. I tried this recipe with a soft wheat flour and found that I needed to add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour for kneading the dough

Piroshki Filling

• 1 pound ground meat beef or pork
• 1 large potato mashed
• 1 cup cooked cabbage
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

Piroshki Filling:

• In a pot of salted boiling water, boil your cabbage until soft. Once the cabbage is soft remove it from the water and add your potato. Cook the potato until soft.
• Add a little oil to a large cast iron frying pan on med. heat. saute the onions until translucent. Add minced garlic and saute another minute.
• Add ground meat, boiled cabbage and potato that you have mashed with a fork to the onions. Taste and season.

Piroshki Dough

• Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add warm water, sugar and yeast to mixer. Let rest 5 min or until yeast has bloomed.
  
• Add the warm milk, warm (not hot) melted butter and salt to the mixer. Mix well.
  
• Add the flour and knead well. This step is very important! You need to knead your dough for at least 8 to 10 minutes. During the knead time I add about 1/2 cup of additional flour. You will know you dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and has a silky smooth elastic look to it.
  
• This is a sticky, soft dough, which explains why the buns are so soft and light. If you feel it is too sticky for you to work with, add a little extra flour.
  
• Form a soft ball of dough
  
• Oil your bowl and a piece of plastic wrap and allow to rest covered for at least an hour.
  
• Once the dough has doubled in size, tip it onto a floured surface and lightly work it into a smooth ball. As you work with it, it will stick to your fingers, keep them either floured or oiled.
  
• Roll into fat snakes and cut into 2" balls. Roll each ball flat and fill.
  
• I use a measuring spoon to fill so that I know I am going to get roughly the same amount of filling in each Piroshki.
  
• Once you have the filling in the center of your flattened dough, pinch and twist.
  
• 
• Place the filled Piroshki on a cookie sheet. Allow to rest for 20 -30 min.
  
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.