Piroshki (pronounced as pih-ROH-skee) are traditional Russian meat filled hand pies. Soft and tasty, they're perfect as an appetizer or for brunch, or even as a birthday party replacement for traditional buffet sandwiches.
The dough, made with flour, egg, butter, brewer's yeast, milk, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of salt, will require at least three hours of rising until the panzerotti are soft, light, and ready to accommodate the filling. We experimented with a savory version made with ground beef and stewed onion, but you can also play around with the filling to suit your taste, taking into account the ingredients you have at home. Once you've shaped several stuffed rolls, all you have to do is arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the surface with a lightly beaten egg and a splash of milk, and bake at 390°F/200°C for about twenty minutes, or until golden brown. The result will be flavorful and fragrant parcels that will delight the whole family.
Also excellent as a filling snack, pirozhki, for a more indulgent version, can be fried in boiling seed oil and then eaten as street food, or they can be packaged in a sweet version and offered to children as a snack with a dusting of icing sugar.
Are Piroshki Russian or Polish?
Piroshki are Russian. They’re small, filled buns or turnovers that come from Russian cuisine, traditionally made with yeasted dough and stuffed with ingredients like meat, potatoes, cabbage, or mushrooms, then baked or fried. The name comes from the Russian word pirozhok, meaning “little pie.” That said, similar pastries exist across Eastern Europe, including Poland, which is where some of the confusion comes from.
What is The Difference Between Pierogi and Piroshki?
Pierogi are Polish dumplings made with an unleavened dough, typically boiled (and sometimes pan-fried afterward), and filled with ingredients like potatoes, cheese, sauerkraut, or fruit. Piroshki, on the other hand, are Russian yeasted buns—more like small stuffed breads—that are baked or fried and filled with savory or sweet fillings.
Ingredients
How to Make Russian Piroshki
Dissolve the brewer's yeast in the warm milk.
Dissolve the brewer's yeast in the warm milk.
Collect the sifted flour, granulated sugar and egg in a bowl.
Collect the sifted flour, granulated sugar and egg in a bowl.
Add the warm melted butter and roughly mix the ingredients.
Add the warm melted butter and roughly mix the ingredients.
Pour the yeast dissolved in the milk and ends with salt.
Pour the yeast dissolved in the milk and ends with salt.
Knead carefully until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough; then place it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and leave it to rise in the oven with the light on for about 3 hours or until doubled in volume.
Knead carefully until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough; then place it in a bowl, cover with cling film, and leave it to rise in the oven with the light on for about 3 hours or until doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: sauté the thinly sliced onions in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: sauté the thinly sliced onions in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Then add the minced meat, season with salt and pepper and brown the meat well, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Then add the minced meat, season with salt and pepper and brown the meat well, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Once doubled in volume, take the dough and divide it with a scraper, on a floured work surface, into 7 portions of the same weight.
Once doubled in volume, take the dough and divide it with a scraper, on a floured work surface, into 7 portions of the same weight.
Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface.
Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface.
Place a spoonful of meat and onions in the center of the resulting disk.
Place a spoonful of meat and onions in the center of the resulting disk.
Wrap the dough around the filling.
Wrap the dough around the filling.
Seal the ends and form the pirozhki into an elongated shape.
Seal the ends and form the pirozhki into an elongated shape.
At this point, place the stuffed rolls on a baking tray with baking paper and brush the surface with the egg, lightly beaten with a drop of milk.
At this point, place the stuffed rolls on a baking tray with baking paper and brush the surface with the egg, lightly beaten with a drop of milk.
Bake in the oven at 390°F/200°C for about 20 minutes. Remove the pirozhki from the oven.
Bake in the oven at 390°F/200°C for about 20 minutes. Remove the pirozhki from the oven.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- For a more succulent result, we used mixed minced meat, but if you prefer, you can replace it with chicken or veal, or you can use pulled beef or an offal-based filling.
- If you have vegetarian guests, you can fill the pirozhki with chopped hard-boiled eggs, onions, and Greek feta, or you can try a filling made with seared tuna or smoked salmon.
- We gave the rolls an elongated shape, but alternatively, you can make buttons or crescents, or you can decorate them with leftover pasta scraps.
Storage Instructions
Pirozhki can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 1-2 days. When ready to serve, we recommend briefly warming them in the oven to restore their freshly baked freshness.
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