Pirozhki
Andrea Potischman
Oct 1, 2017
My husband is a foodie, but not in a pretentious way. He simply loves good food. This is not why I married him, but let’s just say that it didn’t hurt. At times my husband will send me a recipe he finds with subject lines like, “this sounds good,” “you should try this,” or “maybe we should try this over the weekend.” This one came with the subject line, “this is from my co-worker.” Some recipes I read and never make; some I encourage him to try; and others, the real solid ones, I make. This is one of those.
This is a recipe for Pirozhki, (sometimes referred to as Piroshki), oval Russian hand pies that are made from a yeast dough that has been stuffed with a filling like cabbage, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, or ground beef. Pirozhki can also be stuffed with fish, cottage cheese, or a variety of sweet fillings such as fresh or stewed fruit. Pirozhki are sometimes mistaken for pierogi, which are of Central and Eastern European origins and are savory- or sweet-filled thin-skinned dumplings that can be boiled or fried and are traditionally served with sour cream and fried onions.
This recipe was passed on to my husband’s co-worker by his Russian great-grandmother. That right there made me want to make this recipe: it’s legit. Some of the best food comes handed down from generation to generation. Many of the very best recipes are never even written down but are instead passed down by families cooking together. This recipe was based on a translated conversation e-mailed to my husband. I did my best to distill this Russian recipe down to something any of us can make at home.
I can tell you this recipe is delicious. Even with the suggested shortcut (which I was slightly dubious about), the Pirozhki were tasty and the crust came out fluffy. I made the classic cabbage filling and a ground beef one; I loved them both for different reasons. Both filling recipes are listed below. What I did not try was a filling that included both cabbage and ground meat; I may try that next time. In terms of the outside, my husband had expected these to be a bit more dumpling-like, similar to a pierogi; but they were not. I would compare them to an empanada but with a biscuit-style dough.
I was told to use a pre-made store-bought yeast dough or flaky biscuit dough, so I used Annie’s Organic Flaky Buiscut Dough which you can find in the refrigerator section. If you wish to be adventurous, check out this link to a New York Times article on Pirozhki that includes other options. At first glance, this recipe may appear a bit involved, but if you are not making your dough, it isn’t. Buying pre-shredded cabbage will also help cut down on prep time if you are making that version. You can also make this in advance refrigerate and bake them off right before dinner, making these a great make-ahead option for a busy evening.
Shhh...A Russian Grandmother's Secret Pirozhki Recipe You Must Try
Ingredients:
For the Cabbage Filling:
- 1 bag shredded white cabbage (or 1/2 cabbage head)
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Beef Filling:
- 1 pound organic ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled peeled, and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly black pepper
For the Dough:
- 2 packages of organic, flaky biscuits (I use Annie’s organic brand)
- 1 egg, beaten, for the egg wash
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly grease, and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For the Beef Filling: Sauté the ground beef in 1 tablespoon oil till browned and thoroughly cooked. Drain the beef in a colander and place the sauté pan back over the heat. Add the chopped onion and cook per the above instructions.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cooked beef, sautéed onions, hardboiled eggs, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix well to incorporate. Set aside.
- For the Dough: On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one biscuit making a 5-inch 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.
- 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, you should have about 16 in total, 8 cabbage, and 8 meat. Make sure to give the Pirozhki space on the baking sheet as they will puff up.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each Pirozhki with egg yolk. 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. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Do you know a recipe for what my grandma called meat babka ? As far as I know it was the very very thin phillo dough finely minced chuck beef lots of butter and lots of scallions. Placed on the dough roll up like a strudel then bake in oven about1/2 hour brushing top with melted butter ?? I’m just wondering if there was more ingredients than meat onion and butter ??
Hi Lisa-
Thanks for reaching out. I have never heard of “meat babka” nor have others I have asked. It sounds a little like Börek (or burek) which is a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, the Levant, Northern Africa, and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough (commonly phyllo dough) and can have a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes. From what I read, meat is the most common kind. A Jewish blog (The Nosher) talks about burekas are a favorite Israeli treat that makes a great appetizer. A babka is typically a yeast-based bread. Recently savory meat babaks have become a thing on the internet but that is a roasted meat baked into a babka bread and not something made with phyllo dough. Sorry I could not be more helpful. Do reach back out if you learn something more about it.
With warm regards,
Andrea
I read about these things reading about a Ukrainian lady who made them for soldiers. I had to look up what there were. They sound kinda novel. Remotely like blintzes. I’m going to try them Thank you.
Love this Fred. It was a real pleasure to help develop and write about Pirozhkis. I was honored my husband’s friend encouraged me to do so and I am thankful to his grandmother for sharing this family favorite. Thanks so much for reaching out. I hope you try them and enjoy them!
My grandmother was Russian, my mother learned how to make these from her. Used Pillsbury biscuit dough in a can. As kids I didn’t go for the cabbage, it was usually beef. Homemade soup & piroshki. Yum.
Thank you for sharing! These have become a true family favorite. Beef and cabbage, we love them both. I have head of so many people who grew up eating them, I am so happy a friend shared this special recipe with me. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021!
Thank you for the ‘hack’! I love to cook but am horrible at baking, therefore I tend to avoid recipes that involve mixing flour. This recipe was perfect for me and it turned out amazing! My daughter ate a whole piroshki and took another to school for lunch.
I followed the beef recipe except I substituted mashed potatoes for the eggs. I also used Pillsbury original biscuit dough since I couldn’t find Annie’s. I baked these on parchment paper therefore didn’t need to grease the pan. They turned out fantastic and were a hit. I can’t wait use this recipe with other fillings.
I had about a cup of filling left after making 8 good sized piroshkis.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Always love hearing peoples reactions to my recipes. So glad you liked the recipe and thank you so much for sharing this with me!
If you like these, try West Virginia’s version with sweet dough and stuff them with shredded pepperoni, yellow American cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese. The greasier, the better.
My son would love those!