Pierogi Dough Food

BASIC POLISH PIEROGI

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.
• Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
• In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
• Add onions to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer.
• (Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)
• Add cheese, garlic, and salt. Mix well.
• Set filling aside to cool.
• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.
• Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
• In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
• Add onions and seasonings to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer. (Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)
• Mix well and set aside to cool.
• In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
• In a medium bowl, mix together sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream until combined.
• Set filling aside to cool.
• Mix the egg with the flour and dash of salt.
• Add water slowly, using only as much as needed to create a smooth and soft dough.
• Roll out to 1/8" thickness.
• (At this point, if you have your fillings ready to go, it's a good idea to get a pot of water boiling with 2 quarts of water. Once the water begins to boil, add 1 tsp salt, and turn it to a steady simmer. This way, you can start cooking the pierogi as you fill them.)
• Using a 3 ½ " cookie cutter (or the mouth of a juice glass if you don't have cookie cutters, like us) cut circles out of the dough. Re-roll dough as needed until all has been used.
• Place about a tablespoon of filling slightly off-center of the round. Moisten the edge of your dough with a little water, and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal well.
• Place pierogi into boiling water, and boil until the dough is tender 7-10 minutes.
• Remove from boiling water with a large slotted spoon and place in a serving dish.
• If you like, heat a little butter in a frying pan and transfer cooked pierogi directly from the water to the frying pan and saute until slightly golden. Add additional butter as needed.

PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make a well from the flour. Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water. The amount of water will vary according to the weather. You want to make a stiff dough. Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
• Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
• Saute onion in butter until just soft. Add kapusta and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked. If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
• Mix well.
• To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza. Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling. Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling. Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes. At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use. To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter. If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease. Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.

PIEROGI DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together, either in a food processor or by hand.
• Form into a ball; cover and let rest approximately 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out onto a board or counter until about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut circles with large cookie cutter or drinking glass.
• Choose filling (see options below) and place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling onto each circle of dough.
• Fold dough over filling and crimp with fork, moistening with water if necessary.
• (Option 2: before cutting dough, place filling approximately 3 inches apart on half the sheet of dough, then fold over the other half and cut around mounds.).
• To cook finished pierogies, boil at a low boil (do not over-crowd pierogies in the pot). When the pierogies float to the top, boil for another 5 minutes or so. Remove with slotted spoon and place on cookie sheets to cool. They can then be frozen (or served) and when reheated, can be deep fried, pan-cooked in butter, microwaved (not as tasty) or re-boiled (more bland). Suggested to freeze 1 dozen per bag.
• Filling Variations:.
• Potato and cheese pierogies: 5 lbs of potatoes, boiled until tender and mashed (no milk, just potatoes), mixed with 1 1/2 pounds of your favorite cheese (cheddar is good). Best reheated with pan-cooked method (with butter).Serve with fried onions and butter after cooked.
• Mexican pierogies: (I made these up).
• 1 1/2 lb taco meat (made your favorite way) mixed with 1/2 lb mexican cheese. Deep fry reheat method (or pan fry). Serve cooked pierogies topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalepenos, sour cream and salsa. Awesome!
• Cheesteak pierogies: (I made these up too).
• 1 large box of your favorite brand of chip steak cooked with 1/2 lb of swiss (or your favorite) cheese. Deep fry or pan fry reheat method. Top cooked pierogies with your favorite tomato or pasta sauce and onions.

PIEROGI DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Make a well in the center.
• In a separate bowl mix together the vegetable oil, warm water, and beaten egg. Pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover dough and let rest for 2 hours. Roll out and fill as desired.

PIEROGI DOUGH FOR POTATO AND GOAT CHEESE PIEROGI

Steps:

• Place unpeeled potato in a large saucepan, and cover by 2 inches with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, and peel while still hot, holding the potato with a clean kitchen towel. Pass the potato through a food mill fitted with the finest disk or a potato ricer into a large bowl.
• Sift flour, potato starch or cornstarch, and remaining salt into the bowl with the potato, and combine with a wooden spoon. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, creme fraiche or sour cream, and butter, and add to the potato mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and firm. Let rest, covered, for about 10 minutes. Lightly flour a clean work surface, and roll out the dough to slightly thinner than 1/8 inch. Use a 3 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter to cut out circles; set them aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover them with plastic wrap while preparing the filling.

BASIC PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk together egg and sour cream. Whisk in milk and water. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface. (Dough will be loose and sticky.) Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. (Dough will come together as you knead it. Be careful not to add too much flour, since it will toughen the dough.) Cover with an inverted bowl; let rest for 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean linen towel, and dust generouslywith cornmeal to prevent sticking.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-inch-thick round (keep other pieces covered).
• Cut out circles very close together, using a 3-inch cutter or glass (5 inches for the plum version). Cover with plasticwrap to prevent dough from drying. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Fill pierogi: Place filling in center of each dough circle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges, forming a well-sealed crescent.
• Transfer to cornmeal-dusted towel, and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Working in batches, transfer pierogi to boiling water. They will sink to the bottom and then rise. Once they have risen, cook through, about 2 minutes more (or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness). For savory pierogi, coat a platter with half the butter. Transfer pierogi to platter using a slotted spoon. Drizzle tops with remaining butter, and season with salt. For sweet pierogi, transfer to a platter using a slotted spoon, and dot with sour cream.

PIEROGI DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together lightly in bowl.
• Knead until smooth.
• Let rest, covered, 30 minutes.
• Using half of the dough at a time, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut circles with biscuit cutter or floured glass.
• Fill with a golf-ball sized hunk of filling (described separately), pinch to seal.
• Boil 5-8 minutes, until floating.
• Fry in butter until crisp.