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Pirojki

Pirojki are small turnovers of Russian origin, cooked or fried, which can be stuffed with minced meat, cheese, mushrooms or vegetables.

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
1 hr
Rest Time
1 hr
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings: 12 pirojki
Course: Side Dish , Main Course , Appetizer
Cuisine: Russian , Eastern European

Ingredients

For the dough
  • 1¼ cup lukewarm milk (at 97 F / 36°C)
  • 6 cups flour , sifted
  • 6 tablespoons butter , soft
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 egg , lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
To brush
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Stuffing (for 12 pieces)
For the meat stuffing
  • 18 oz. raw ground beef (or cooked ground beef)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 large onions , chopped
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs , grated
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 teaspoons chopped dill
  • ⅔ cup cooked rice
  • salt
  • pepper
For the mushroom and potato stuffing
  • 1 lb potatoes
  • 12 oz. porcini mushrooms , cut into small pieces
  • 10 oz. oyster mushrooms , cut into small pieces
  • 2 large onions , chopped
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • salt
  • pepper
For the cheese stuffing
  • 10 oz. cottage cheese
  • 7 oz. hard cheese (e.g. Emmental, Gruyère, Conté, or cheddar)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped dill
  • salt
  • pepper
Equipment
  • Stand mixer
  • Rolling pin
  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • pastry brush
  • Dutch oven

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, dilute the yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour in warm milk.
  2. Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, in a warm place away from drafts.
  3. Add the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  4. Dig a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture, the butter and the egg.
  5. Start kneading at medium speed while gradually incorporating the rest of the warm milk.
  6. Add salt and knead for 10 minutes at medium speed.
  7. Grease the bottom of a large bowl with half the oil. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, and cover its entire surface with the rest of the oil.
  8. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise for 1 hour 30 minutes, in a warm place away from drafts.
  9. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
  10. Divide the dough into dough pieces of 2 oz. (60 g) each and roll them up.
  11. Cover the dough pieces with a cloth and let them sit for 15 minutes.
  12. Preheat the convection oven to 350 F (180°C).
  13. On a lightly floured work surface and using a rolling pin, spread each piece of dough into a ¼ inch (5 mm) thick circle.
  14. Place each of the circles on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  15. Once the stuffing is prepared and cooled, place about 1 to 2 teaspoons in the center of each of the circles.
  16. Brush the outline of the circles with water or milk and close each one in the form of a bun with slightly pointed ends or a half moon.
  17. Using a fork, press hard enough on the edges so that the turnovers do not open during cooking.
  18. Beat the egg and milk.
  19. Brush all the pirojki with this mixture before baking for 20 minutes at 350 F (180˚C).
  20. Eat hot or warm.
  21. Meat stuffing
  22. In a Dutch oven, melt the chopped onions in a butter and oil mixture over medium heat.
  23. Add the meat and mix well.
  24. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
  25. Turn off the heat and add the chopped garlic, dill, cooked rice, and grated eggs.
  26. Season with salt, pepper and mix.
  27. Mushroom and potato stuffing
  28. Peel the potatoes and cook them in a large volume of salted water bath for 30 minutes.
  29. Drain them well (the less moisture, the better) and mash them by adding the butter. Set aside.
  30. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until tender. Add the porcini and oyster mushrooms immediately. Mix well.
  31. Add the water, mix well, and cook over medium heat and uncovered, stirring regularly for a few minutes until the mushrooms are cooked.
  32. At the end of cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
  33. Add the mashed potatoes, mix well and immediately remove the pan from the heat.
  34. Cover the pan immediately and let cool before stuffing.
  35. Cheese stuffing
  36. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, dill, grated cheese and garlic.
  37. Season with salt and pepper, taking into account the saltiness of the cheeses.