Taste of Russia - Pirozhki

For the Sochi 2014 Olympics Opening Ceremony yesterday, I thought it would be most appropriate to make something Russian :) One traditional Russian dish that has been on my mind for a long time now is pirozhki, baked hot pockets or small pies. Pirozhki can have all sorts of filling – meat, fish, mushrooms, mashed potatoes, sour cabbage, eggs, even jam (really anything you can think of putting inside the sour dough). Watching a long Winter Olympics event with a company demands something substantial, filling, and warm. Golden-brown pirozhki with juicy minced meat, right out of the oven, sounds like a perfect choice for any winter sports viewing party, doesn't it?

Ingredients:

For the dough:

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs

7 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten, for glazing

For the filling:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water or broth
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
salt and black pepper

Directions:

To make the dough: In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, sugar, and warm milk; put it aside for about 10 minutes until the mixture starts to foam. In a large bowl, combine the flour with salt. Add eggs, melted butter and yeast mixture. Knead until dough is well mixed (use your fists and muscles :) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

To make the filling: Brown the meat in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté for ten minutes or until the meat and onion are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and continue cooking for one more minute to gelatinize the flour. Add the water or broth to create a sauce. Add the sour cream, stir to blend, and then remove from the heat.  Add the chopped eggs and dill.  Set aside.

When the dough is ready, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces (or more for smaller pirozhki) and roll into balls. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes so they will be easier to stretch.

Roll out each dough ball into a circle (about 6 inches in diameter). Place three tablespoons of the filling on the round, keeping a small border all the way around. Pull the sides of the dough together to enclose the filling. With a little water on your fingers, pinch the edges together to form a tight seal.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Arrange pirozhki on two lightly buttered baking sheets and brush the tops with a beaten egg.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until pirozhki are golden brown. You can serve them hot or at room temperature.