Pierogi – Dough

• Pierogi  are  little semi-circular parcels of pasta which are made with a multitude of fillings.
• Even though I make these myself, it is the dish I always crave when I go to Poland.
• There are several theories as to how pasta style dishes came into Poland.
• The general word for pasta especially noodles is makaron , which certainly has its roots in Italian; and as Italian cooking has influenced Polish cooking  from the 16^th century I used to think that was where the dishes originated. I find it amusing that ravioli  in Polish are called pierogi włoskie (Italian pierogi).
• After doing some research it seems however that pierogi were around in Poland in the middle ages, they are mentioned in the 13^th century and the name comes from an old Slav word for feast or festivity.
• Many people believe that they came to Poland from the Far East through Siberia and Russia.
• When I was in China in the 1990s, imagine my surprise when I was on several occasions offered dishes which were called Jiaoxi  (dumplings) and they were exactly the same shape and size as pierogi and cooked in the same way!
• Whatever the origins, the Poles have made pierogi their own; there are lots of traditional fillings, both savoury and sweet, and several ways of serving them.
• In a pierogi cookery book I bought in Poland there are around 40 traditional ones and more than 20 new style ones.

  

• In a pierogi restaurant I went to in Kraków there were around 30 options on the menu.
• Pierogi are made from a thinly rolled out dough using a circular cutter, about 7 cm in diameter, we used to use a medium sized wine glass.
• A largish teaspoon of the filling is placed on the circle and this is then folded in half and the edges pinched together to seal them – this is done to give them a slightly crimped edge.
• You learn from experience how much filling to put into the pierogi as too much will make it hard to seal them and if not properly sealed they will burst on boiling.

Do not worry if you have a few mishaps – it still happens to me even with experience – it is hard to salvage one that has gone wrong – just accept that there will be a few that you do not cook.

Pierogi Dough

• Pierogi dough is made from flour, egg  and water and I have  seen many variations of the recipe.  The following is my mother’s and I think it is the best I have ever used and tasted.
• She never used whole eggs, just the yolks and this gives a dough which is soft and not tough and can be easily rolled out.  The recipes which use whole eggs give a tougher dough which is much harder to roll out.
• My mother originally used plain flour and added a tablespoon or two of fine semolina but now that strong flour or even pasta flour is readily available this is what I use the most.
• Also in Polish shops in England you can buy flour for pierogi.
• Another point is that flour does vary and it is possible to add more flour to the dough as you are mixing it but you cannot add more liquid if it is too dry!
• As you mix the ingredients in the first few minutes you should be able to tell if it will be too dry and you can add some more water initially but once it is all mixed together you cannot – if it goes wrong – just start again.
• The quantities that I have given work well and but you should allow for extra flour if needed.

Ingredients

• 500g pasta flour or strong flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
• 300 ml water
• 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower or light olive
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks

Method

In a jug or bowl mix together the water, oil and yolks.

Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

• Pour the liquid mixture into the well and then with your hands incorporate the flour into the liquid until you have a large ball of dough.
• Turn this out into a floured board and knead the dough for a few minutes until it is a smooth ball.
• You can then use the dough straight away, cutting it into 4 quarters and rolling out a quarter at a time on a floured surface until the dough is thin.  You can pull it out a bit at the beginning to give a more rectangular shape of even thickness.
• You can cover the dough with a cloth and place it in the fridge till needed.
• You can freeze the dough for a few days for later use, it is best to cut it into quarters and wrap these in cling film or plastic and place these in another bag or container.
• I rarely do this – I tend to open freeze the made pierogi.

Shaping The Pierogi

• Rolled out the dough until it is thin and use a circular cutter, about 7cm in diameter, to make lots of circles.  You can re-roll the cuttings to make more circles until all the dough is used.
• I have noticed that some people use a larger cutter – I will try this out later.

• A largish teaspoon of the filling is placed on to the dough circle and this is then folded in half and the edges pinched using your thumb and first finger to seal them – giving them a slightly crimped edge.
• This quality of dough will make about 70 to 80 pierogi – depends on how thinly  you roll the dough and the size of your cutter.
• You can open freeze pierogi so sometimes  I make a batch and open freeze half of them – then store them in a plastic box.
• They should be cooked from frozen just allowing a little extra time.

Pierogi Fillings

• Look at my posts to see a variety of fillings that can be used.
• A good tip is not to make the filling too moist, as any liquid on the dough will prevent you getting a good seal.
• Have a large surface such as a tray covered with a cotton or linen cloth which has been lightly floured ready  and place the sealed pierogi on this until they are all made, do not let then touch each other.

Cooking The Pierogi

• To cook the pierogi, use a large pan of boiling water to which you have added some salt and a drizzle of oil.
• Drop the pierogi in one by one and allow them to boil.  I usually do about 6 to 8 at a time (I only do 6 at a time if using frozen ones).
• As they cook they will float to the surface, let them boil for 2 to 3 minutes, a bit more if they were frozen, and then remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain and serve.
• Continue boiling batches in the same water.

Serving Suggestion

• Traditionally savoury pierogi are served with melted butter, skwarki – crispy smoked bacon bits, small pieces of fried onion or melted butter and dried breadcrumbs (à la Polonaise).
• If you want to make all the pierogi to serve together then you need to get a large shallow dish and put the melted butter or skwarki or fried onions into the dish and keep the dish warm in a low oven.
• As you take out the cooked pierogi add them to the dish, mix them with the butter, skwarki or onions to prevent them sticking.
• Keep on adding more as they cook and keep shaking the dish to coat and mix them.

• Once your have had your meal and you have any left  (I leave some deliberately) then they are wonderful fried up later.
• You need a hot frying pan and should be able to just use the butter etc that they are coated in, maybe adding a little extra oil if needed.
• Fry them till the dough is golden and crispy.

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