Traditional Polish pierogi dumplings

Making traditional Polish pierogi (dumplings) from scratch is a labour of love, but they taste infinitely better than store-bought. You can get creative with your fillings – there’s vegetarian creamy mushroom and a beef filling recipes below, adapted from Ren Behan’s new book Wild Honey & Rye.

I didn’t have much exposure to Polish cooking before meeting my husband. He was, and still continues to be, mildly obsessed with Polish food, especially pierogi, thanks to his previous girlfriend. Not that his girlfriend made him pierogi – no, it was her Polish babi (great grandmother) who kept my husband in pierogi and he still won’t shut up about them after 20 years of us being together. He even took me to Mazurka, the Polish restaurant in his hometown of Montreal, on our first visit there, eager to expose me to the joys of Polish food.

Well now there’s a fabulous new cookbook by a fellow food blogger Ren Began which aims to introduce everyone to Polish cuisine. I was thrilled to receive a review copy last week and I am so proud of what she has achieved. You can read more about her journey here.

The book is beautiful and full of recipes I want to make, like kotlety (meatballs), cabbage parcels with barley mushroom sauce, bigos (hunter’s) stew, szarlotka (apple cake) and flavoured vodkas. In the end though I had zero choice about which recipe to make – it simply HAD to be pierogi!

Pierogi are little dumplings which can be sweet or savoury – they remind me of gyoza or Chinese dumplings though others have likened them to ravioli. Whatever their resemblance, the undeniable fact is that they are delicious and totally addictive to eat.

I followed Ren’s recipe to make the dough, though I had to add more water than specified, so I am going to post my adaptation of it below. I also ended up rolling the pierogi a lot thinner than 3mm, so I ended up with twice as many, much to the joy of my husband.

Making a big batch is a good idea anyway – they freeze really well and you will be happy to know you have some stashed away for a comfort food emergency! I used Ren’s filling of mushrooms and cream and it was so delicious you will want to just eat the whole thing with a spoon.

But at the request of my husband I also made a beef filling and here I researched a few recipes before making something up that I think is pretty authentic – it tastes really good and that’s what really matters.

I made the dough by hand and it was quite a tough dough to knead – if you have some aggressions you want to work out, I think this would be the perfect recipe for you! Once the dough is kneaded it becomes elastic and you are able to roll it out really thinly.

Having never made pierogi before, I realised a few things after I made my first batch. It is best to have the filling prepared several hours, or up to a day, in advance so that it has a chance to properly cool. You are also able to roll it into little balls after it has rested in the fridge overnight, which vastly simplifies the filling process.

Once you make your little stuffing balls, it is easy to fill the pierogi as you roll and stamp out the dough. You will have to roll the dough in batches and make sure you keep any you are not using (as well as any filled pierogi) covered with a damp tea towel until you finish with the entire batch.

To fill the pierogi, place a circle of dough in your left hand and position the stuffing ball in the middle. Use your right hand to create and indent in the centre of the stuffing so that it spreads out to the sides slightly. Keep a wet cloth handy to wipe your hands and then pinch the dough around the filling to close. You can create a little pleated edge, if you like, by folding the dough along the edge (though that looks more like a gyoza) or you can score the edge with a fork.

Cook the pierogi in boiling water and then fry them in a little butter so they get golden and a little crispy. Top with a little chopped dill, fried onions, some crisp bacon and don’t forget the sour cream. Absolutely YUMMY! Make sure to order a copy of Wild Honey & Rye for many more delicious modern Polish recipes (affiliate link below).

Take a look at more recipes from Wild Honey & Rye as interpreted by the food blogging community.

One-Pan Polish Breakfast by Farmersgirl Kitchen

Blackberry crumble bars by Vikalinka

Polish Forest Mushroom Soup by Foodie Quine

Potato Pancakes with Mushroom Sauce by Ceri’s Natural Kitchen Adventures

Apple Pancakes from Family Friends Food

Easy Lemon Mini Babkas by Kate’s Veggie Desserts

Polish Christmas Cookies by Recipes from a Pantry

Plum & Poppy Seed Traybake by Domestic Gothess

Traditional Polish pierogi from scratch

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Making traditional Polish pierogi (dumplings) from scratch is a labour of love, but they taste infinitely better than store-bought. This recipe makes a big batch of pierogi – you can freeze any leftovers.

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Course: Pierogi

Cuisine: Polish

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings: 40 -45

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 500 g | 1lb 2oz | 4 cups all purpose flour or 00 flour
• plus more for dusting
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250 ml | 1 cup lukewarm water + more if needed
• butter or vegetable oil to fry
• <br>
• Cream and mushroom filling
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 small onion very finely diced
• 500 g | 1lb 2oz chestnut crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
• 150 ml | 2/3 cup double heavy cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to season
• <br>
• Beef and bacon filling
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 4 strips streaky bacon or smoked pancetta finely diced
• 1 large onion very finely diced
• 500 g | 1lb 2oz minced beef not lean
• 120 ml | 1/2 cup double heavy cream
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• salt and pepper to season
• <br>
• To serve
• 4 strips streaky bacon or smoked pancetta
• 1 large onion finely diced
• sour cream to serve
• fresh dill or parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Ideally make the fillings before you make the dough to allow them to cool completely.
• Mushroom filling. Put the dried mushrooms in a measuring jug and cover with boiling water. Set aside to rehydrate while you get on with the recipe. Chop them very finely after 10 minutes.
• Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and pan is nearly dry.
• Stir in the cream and cook for a couple of minutes then add the parsley. Make sure you taste and adjust the seasoning at this stage.
• Leave to cool completely, then chill for a few hours or overnight, in the fridge.
• Roll the filling into little stuffing balls, using 1 level tbsp for each.
• <br>
• Beef and bacon filing. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and add the bacon. Stir until it starts to render some of its fat.
• Add the onion and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until soft.
• Add the mince and break it up with the back of a spoon. Cook until nicely browned.
• Add the cream and cook until the pan is nearly dry. Leave to cool slightly, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground (but don't turn to a paste).
• Stir in the herbs, leave to cool completely, then chill for a few hours, or overnight, in the fridge.
• Roll the filling into little stuffing balls, using 1 level tbsp for each.
• <br>
• Make the dough. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg, oil and a few tablespoons of the water.
• Stir together using a wooden spoon and continue adding the water until the dough comes together.
• Tip onto a floured worktop and kneap for 5 minutes until it starts becoming elastic. If the dough is too dry then add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time.
• Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
• Dust your worktop with flour. Divide the dough in half (or more pieces) as it is easier to roll out this way. Keep any unused dough covered with a damp tea towel and have a large floured tray on standby.
• Roll out your dough until about 3mm (1/8in) think, turning and pulling at the edges as you do. Continue to roll out until it is about 1 1/2 mm (1/16in) think and then stamp out circles using a 3 in cutter.
• Keep any circles on a floured surface and covered with a damp tea towel or cut and fill them as you go.
• To fill the pierogi, place a circle of dough in your left hand and position the stuffing ball in the middle. Use your right hand to create and indent in the centre of the stuffing so that it spreads out to the sides slightly.
• Keep a wet cloth handy to wipe your hands and then pinch the dough around the filling to close. You can create a little pleated edge, if you like, by folding the dough along the edgeor you can score the edge with a fork.
• Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a 1 tsp salt. Boil the pierogi, in batches, about 8 at a time, for 2-3 minutes. Initially they will sink to the bottom of the pot but they will float to the top after a couple of minutes. You might need to give them a little stir to prevent them from sticking.
• Lift out of the pot using a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen towel. Repeat until you have cooked as many as you want.
• Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan and pan fry the pierogi over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until golden.
• Pan fry the bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool then cut into small pieces.
• Fry the onion in the bacon fat until slightly caramelised and crispy.
• Serve the pierogi with the fried onions and bacon (unless you are vegetarian of course) with a big dollop of sour cream on the side.

Notes

The dough will be enough for around 40-45 pierogi depending on how thinly you roll out the dough. If you wish to make both the mushroom and beef fillings you will need to double the amount of dough.

Put any leftover pierogi on a tray lined with greaseproof paper, making sure that they are not touching. Freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer bag.
To cook from frozen boil for 5-10 minutes, until they float to the top of the pot, then fry.

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