Pierogi night: dough, fillings and folding for beginners
Pierogi are beloved dumplings across Central and Eastern Europe, and many Canadian kitchens make them for holidays and family gatherings. They look fiddly, but the work is mostly rolling and folding, and it goes faster with company. Invite friends and make it an evening.
This makes about 40 pierogi.
The dough
- 3 cups (about 375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water, plus a little more if needed
- 1 tbsp melted butter or oil
Stir the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the egg, sour cream, butter and most of the water. Mix until it comes together, then knead on a floured counter for about 5 minutes until smooth and soft, like an earlobe. If it sticks to your hands, add flour by the spoonful. If it cracks, add water by the teaspoon.
Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten, and a rested dough rolls out without fighting back.
Three classic fillings
Potato and cheese. Boil 500 g of peeled potatoes until tender, drain well and mash. Cook one finely diced onion in butter until golden. Mix with 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar or crumbled farmer’s cheese, salt and pepper. The filling must be cool before you use it.
Sauerkraut and mushroom. Rinse 2 cups of sauerkraut and squeeze it dry. Sauté it with a diced onion and 200 g of chopped mushrooms until the moisture cooks off. Season with pepper. Wet filling is the number one cause of pierogi that burst.
Sweet cheese. Mix 1 cup of farmer’s cheese or dry cottage cheese with an egg yolk, a spoon of sugar and a little vanilla. Serve with sour cream and berries.
Rolling and cutting
Roll out about a third of the dough at a time, keeping the rest covered, to about 3 mm thick. Cut circles with a 8 cm cutter or a drinking glass. Re-roll the scraps once. Beyond that the dough turns tough.
Folding and sealing
- Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Resist the urge to overfill.
- Dab a little water around the edge of the circle with a fingertip.
- Fold in half and press the edges together, squeezing out any air.
- Run your thumb and finger along the seam once more. A pinched, firm seam is the whole secret.
- Place finished pierogi on a floured tray, not touching, and cover with a damp tea towel so they do not dry out.
Boiling
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add pierogi in batches of about 10 so they have space. They sink at first, then float. Let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes after they float. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
For the best texture, finish them in a pan: melt butter in a skillet and fry the boiled pierogi for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden. Top with caramelized onions, sour cream, fresh dill or crispy bacon, whichever your table loves.
Freezing for another night
Put uncooked pierogi on a floured tray in the freezer until solid, then bag them. Cook from frozen in boiling water, adding a couple of extra minutes. Do not thaw them first, as they will stick.
What can go wrong
- They burst while boiling. Usually a weak seam, too much filling or an overcrowded pot. Seal firmly and keep the water at a gentle boil, not a rolling one.
- They stick together. Flour the tray and the cooked ones lightly with butter.
- The dough is tough. It was probably rolled too thick, over-floured or not rested.
- Bland filling. Season more than you think, and taste a small spoon of the potato mixture before filling.
A first batch will not be perfect. Some will be lopsided, and that is part of the evening. For more dishes that carry a region’s table to yours, visit our around the world section.