Pirozhki Food

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup milk in a cup or small bowl. Stir in sugar and sprinkle yeast over the top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the remaining milk into a large bowl.
• Add the melted butter, egg, salt and 1 cup of flour to the large bowl with the milk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your hands. Cover the bowl loosely and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour. Dough should almost triple in size.
• While you wait for the dough to rise, melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has wilted. Mix in the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until cabbage is tender. Set this aside for the filling.
• Place the risen dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a long snake about 2 inches wide. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten the balls by hand until they are 4 to 5 inches across. Place a spoonful of the cabbage filling in the center and fold in half to enclose. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line one or two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Place the pirozhki onto the baking sheet, leaving room between them for them to grow.
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

FRIED MEAT PIROSHKI RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare 1 batch of our piroshki dough recipe.
• In a large bowl, add the ground pork, grated onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, Lawry's seasoning, mayo, green onion, and dill. Mix until well combined.
• Generously flour working area and the dough onto surface. Divide the dough into 24 equar parts (see note).
• Roll out each of the parts into about a 3½" round circle. Divide the meat filling among the 24 pieces and place into the center of dough. Fold the dough in half and seal the edges by pinching dough together. Repeat with all of the piroshki. Press down on the pies so it's flat and even in size.
• In a large pot, cover the bottom with oil about 2 inches deep and heat oil to 330°F.
• Add the piroshki into the pot, careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry 3 minutes per side, until golden and remove onto a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with all the piroshki.
• Serve with sour cream.
• Enjoy!

RUSSIAN PIROSHKI (MEAT HAND PIES)

Steps:

• To make the dough, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast and salt.
• Add vegetable oil and water and mix until smooth. (If dough is too dry, add more water a little bit at a time until dough smooth and soft. Also, if the dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour.)
• Coat the dough with a little bit of vegetable oil and place it back in the bowl. Cover with damp kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rise, for about 30-60 minutes. (I put it in a microwave with a glass of hot water. Don't turn on the microwave.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Add the meat, garlic and salt. Cook the meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Transfer into a large bowl and mix it with rice.
• Once the dough is doubled in size, take it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball, 1-2 minutes. Lightly flatten the dough ball into a disk, and divide into 12 equal parts as you slice a pizza. Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
• To make the hand pies, take a piece of dough and flatten it with your hands. Put the filling in the center and fold the dough in half. Pinch the edges of the dough to seal, creating a half moon. Then gently flatten it between your palms, making sure the sealed crimps are on flat side. (If it's not clear, check out the photos above.)
• Once all the hand pies are formed, heat 1-inch oil in a large skillet, or dutch oven. (Tip: You don't need a thermometer to fry these savory hand pies. Simply drop the end of a wooden spoon into heated oil, and if it's bubbling up around the wood, that means the oil is ready for frying!)
• To cook the hand pies, drop 4 hand pies in the hot oil and cook until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook until it's nice and golden. Remove into a bowl, lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue with the remaining batch.
• Serve piroshki warm or at room temperature.

PIROSHKI (A SAVOURY, FILLED PASTRY)

Steps:

• For pastry: Cut butter into pieces.
• Combine flour, butter, and salt using a knife or pastry blender.
• Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons ice water.
• Form into ball as you would pie dough.
• May need to add remaining 2 tablespoons water.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Place pastry dough on floured board; roll out into rectangle.
• Fold over into thirds.
• Roll out again into rectangle.
• Continue rolling and folding five times.
• Rewrap in plastic; return to refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Grease baking sheet.
• Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut dough using 3 ½-inch round cutter.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on each pastry circle.
• Fold dough over making half moons; press together edges together using ice water to seal.
• Place pies on baking sheet.
• Whisk together egg yolk and 2 tblsps water; brush pies with egg wash.
• Bake about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
• For Meat Filling: sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter until soft.
• Add ground beef and sear until light gravy forms.
• Let cool.
• Mix in egg, dill, salt and pepper.
• For Potato Filling: Fry the onions in the butter until soft and golden-brown.
• Boil the potatoes in their jackets, then peel and mash them.
• Let cool slightly.
• Season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix in the onions and egg.
• For Mushroom Filling: In a pan or skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the butter until the onion is translucent.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Continue to cook, stirring until nearly all the moisture is evaporated.
• Cool mixture slightly and mix in cream cheese or mashed potato.
• I like to sprinkle poppy seeds over the egg washed pastries filled with the mushroom filling.
• Note: these pastries are very good made with phyllo pastry, too.

BEEF PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Combine 1 scant cup of warm milk and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let sit until foamy and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, egg, butter, and almost all of the flour, holding back a small amount in case dough gets too dry.
• Knead in the mixer until dough is soft and supple. Scrape dough onto your work surface. Grease the bowl with a few drops of oil and place dough back in. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• In the meantime, heat olive oil and butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, ground beef, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook beef, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Stir dill into the beef mixture. Add chicken broth and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Let filling cool completely.
• Transfer dough to a work surface. Press out air bubbles. Pinch off a piece of dough and form into a ball; press into a disc. Dust with a minimal amount of flour and roll into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Dip your finger in water and dampen the edges of the circle.
• Place dough circle in 1 hand and add a few tablespoons of the beef filling. Pinch edges together to seal. Place pirozhki on the table seam-side up and pinch off any excess dough; too much dough will make it hard to fry. Moisten the center of the seam with water. Fold the 2 ends inward and flip pirozhki over, seam-side down; press down lightly.
• Form the remaining pirozhki and let them rest until dough rises slightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry pirozhki in batches, seam-side down, until golden brown, about 90 seconds. Flip and fry until browned on the other side, about 90 seconds more. Drain on paper towels and cool for a few minutes.

RUSSIAN PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Make the Dough In a bowl, mix together sugar and yeast, then add 60 ml (1/4 cup) lukewarm milk and whisk until the sugar and yeast are dissolved. Leave, covered, in a warm place for 15 minutes, until frothy and bubbly. In a big bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, the rest of the milk, butter and salt. Whisk in the yeast mixture, once it's frothy. Add flour, one cup at a time and keep whisking. When the dough becomes too thick for the whisk, use your hands. Mix the dough until the ingredients are just combined and form a ball. Tip the dough onto a surface dusted with flour and knead it for just a minute, until it becomes soft and supple. Grease a bowl large enough to hold the proofed dough with oil. Place the dough inside, then turn it over so both sides are covered with oil. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough doubles in size. Make the filling Spring onion, ramps and egg filling Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to get a uniform filling. Or spiced beef and rice filling Place a frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté them for 5 minutes, until they are translucent, but not browned. Add the ground beef, garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and black pepper. Fry, stirring and breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, for 10-12 minutes, or until it's cooked through and there are no streaks of pink. Mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped mint and parsley, and the cooked rice. Take off the heat, taste and adjust salt if needed. Or potato, caramelized onions and Parmesan filling Cut peeled potatoes into 6 pieces each, place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil over medium high heat, add the salt, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes are completely cooked through and a knife can be easily inserted into it. Take the potatoes out and mash them, using a fork or a potato masher. Do not use a blender because it makes the filling too smooth. Yes, too smooth is not always a good thing. Mix in the milk and 1 tablespoon of butter. Place a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Fry them over medium heat for 20 minutes, mixing every 2 minutes at first and then every 1 minute. The onions will become translucent first and then will start to caramelize slowly. The trick is to give them the time to brown, but not too much so they burn. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the onions a few minutes before taking them off the heat. In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, the caramelized onions, Parmesan and a grind of black pepper. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Assemble pirozhki Line a baking tray with baking paper. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and transfer to a surface dusted with flour. Divide the dough into two and leave one half in a bowl, covered with towel to prevent it from drying out. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces. With your hands, pat each piece of dough into an oval, approximately 11x7 cm (4x3 inches). Place 1 heaped tablespoon of the filling in the middle, then bring the long sides of the oval to the center and pinch them together, going from the center towards the ends of the pirozhok. Place it on the baking tray. Repeat to the rest of the dough. Once all the pirozhki are ready, cover them with a towel and leave in a warm place to proof for the second time, for about 30 minutes, until they puff up. Bake pirozhki Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Brush the pirozhki with egg yolk and place them in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve pirozhki hot with a cup of sweetened black tea or a glass of milk. Or fry pirozhki Prepare a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour sunflower oil into a dutch oven (or a heavy-bottom pan) until it's about 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) high. You need enough oil so when you put a pirozhok in, the oil covers half of it. Place the dutch oven over medium heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, insert the end of a wooden spoon into it. If the oil starts bubbling around the spoon, you are good to go. Carefully place pirozhki, seam down, into the hot oil, leaving some space between them. My dutch oven is 22 cm (8.5 inches) and I fry 4 pirozhki at a time. Let them fry for 2 minutes, until they turn golden brown, then flip them on the other side and fry for 1 more minute (Start checking if they turned golden a bit earlier to avoid burning them). With a slotted spoon take pirozhki out and place them on a plate, lined with paper towel. Remove any extra oil with more paper towels. Repeat to the rest of pirozhki. Serve pirozhki hot with a cup of sweetened black tea or a glass of milk.

PIROSHKY (PIROSHKI)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water and let stand 10 minutes. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in flour and add milk, egg, oil and yeast. Combine to make a soft dough. Knead about 10 minutes. Let rise one half hour to one hour.
• Brown chopped onion and garlic. In separate pan, brown ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Cool meat mixture and remove solidified fat.
• Pinch a golf-ball sized piece of dough, flatten with fingers or roll out to 1/8" thickness. Place 2 Tbsp filling in center and bring opposite edges of circle together. Pinch securely. (The traditional shape is a plump center with tapering ends.).
• Let piroshkis rise seam side down, 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Brush with egg and bake until golden brown (approx 20 min, it depends on the size). The piroshky may also be deep fried.
• Ed. Note: I also like to add about 1 cup cheese sauce powder (sometimes found in bulk food stores) to the meat mix. I find it gives a slightly cheesy taste. If I do that, I omit the salt.

PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt and sugar, mix and then add yeast. Add the butter, egg, milk and cumin. Mix until smooth, cover and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature to rise. Mix duck, plums, walnuts and remaining ingredients place on stove and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick and cut into 3-inch circles. Place 1 teaspoon of mixture in the center of each circle, fold over and crimp edges. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and grilled apples.

BAKED PIROZHKI (Пирожки)

Steps:

• Place ingredients, in the order listed, into your bread machine and select the dough program. Should take about 90 minutes to complete the dough cycle. Or prepare the dough as per video, the traditional way.
• In a frying pan, over medium high heat, the ground beef until cooked and evenly browned. Add onions and continue to fry until translucent. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust if necessary and set aside to cool before adding to the dough.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
• When the dough is ready, carefully place onto a very lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape. You want to cut into pieces that are approx. the size of a golf ball. Or you can pinch off golf ball pieces from the dough. You should get at least 24 pieces from this recipe. Cover pieces you aren't working on with cling wrap so they don't dry out.
• Roll out the dough balls as thin as you can into the shape of an oval. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centre. Pinch both sides of the edges of the dough together, creating a seal all around. Don't allow the filling to touch the edges or the seal will come apart.
• Place the piroshki on parchment paper, or a lightly greased baking tray, upside down, so you cannot see the pinched seal, and flatten them a bit. Don't allow them to touch each other, as they will stick together.
• Make the egg wash by beating the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of whipping cream and brush the piroshki with the egg wash before putting into the oven.
• Place into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Make the dough:
• In a food processor blend together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the butter until the mixture resembles meal. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the sour cream, add the sour cream mixture to the flour mixture, and blend the mixture until it just forms a dough, adding the water if the dough seems dry. Divide the dough into fourths, form each fourth into a flattened round, and chill the dough, each round wrapped well in wax paper, for 1 hour or overnight.
• Make the filling:
• Peel the potatoes, cut them into 3/4-inch pieces, and in a steamer set over boiling water steam them, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are very tender. Force the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. In a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the caraway seeds in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is golden, add the cabbage, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes. Cook the mixture, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more and stir it into the potato mixture with the sour cream, the water if the mixture is too thick, the dill, and salt and pepper to taste. The filling may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 piece of the dough 1/8 inch thick, keeping the remaining pieces wrapped and chilled, and with a 3-inch cutter cut out rounds. Brush each round with some of the egg wash, put 2 level teaspoons of the filling on one half of each round, and fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing the edges together firmly to seal them and crimping them with a fork. Gather the scraps of dough, reroll them, and make more pirozhki with the remaining filling and dough and some of the remaining egg wash in the same manner. The pirozhki may be made up to this point 5 days in advance and kept frozen in plastic freeze bags. The pirozhki need not be thawed before baking.
• Arrange the pirozhki on lightly greased baking sheets and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Bake the pirozhki in preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden, and serve them warm or at room temperature.

PIROSHKY (PIROSHKI)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water and let stand 10 minutes. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in flour and add milk, egg, oil and yeast. Combine to make a soft dough. Knead about 10 minutes. Let rise one half hour to one hour.
• Brown chopped onion and garlic. In separate pan, brown ground beef. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Cool meat mixture and remove solidified fat.
• Pinch a golf-ball sized piece of dough, flatten with fingers or roll out to 1/8" thickness. Place 2 Tbsp filling in center and bring opposite edges of circle together. Pinch securely. (The traditional shape is a plump center with tapering ends.).
• Let piroshkis rise seam side down, 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350. Brush with egg and bake until golden brown (approx 20 min, it depends on the size). The piroshky may also be deep fried.
• Ed. Note: I also like to add about 1 cup cheese sauce powder (sometimes found in bulk food stores) to the meat mix. I find it gives a slightly cheesy taste. If I do that, I omit the salt.

SAVORY PIROZHKI

Steps:

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly grease and set aside.
• Step 2 For the Cabbage Filling: Fill a stock pot with 8 cups of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the cabbage and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for about 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain in a colander and rinse well to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• Step 3 Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and when hot, but not smoking, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally and cook till starting to brown about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Step 4 In a large mixing bowl add the drained softened cabbage, sautéed onions, hardboiled egg, dill, salt and pepper. Mix well to incorporate and set aside.
• Step 5 For the Beef Filling: Sauté the ground beef in 1 tablespoon oil till browned and thoroughly cooked. Drain the beef in colander and place the sauté pan back over the heat. Add the chopped onion and cook per the above instructions.
• Step 6 In a large mixing bowl add the cooked beef, sautéed onions, hardboiled eggs, dill, salt and pepper. Mix well to incorporate. Set aside.
• Step 7 For the Dough: On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one biscuit making a 5-inch round circle. Place a generous scoop of the filling you made (either cabbage or ground beef) in the middle of the dough. Make sure you have used enough filling, but do not overstuff it.
• Step 8 Using your hands, carefully fold the dough over the filling, making a half circle. Pinch the edges together and pick up the Pirozhki. Working from one end to the other, firmly pinch the edges of the dough together creating a seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Using the palm of your hand, lightly tap the Pirozhki to even out the filling. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Make sure to give the Pirozhki space on the baking sheet as they will puff up.
• Step 9 Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each Pirozhki with egg yolk.
• Step 10 Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet once mid-way through, till the Pirozhki are golden brown and firm to the touch.
• Step 11 Allow to cool slightly before serving.