Pierogi Dough

My grandma made the best pierogies. She had a group of girlfriends called "the pierogi ladies" and I always envisioned them in starchy aprons, laughing and bonding while rolling pierogi dough in the basement of her church. I don't know where they made the pierogies, but you bought them through the church - a fiercely Polish parish- so as a kid it made sense that they made the pierogi there. As an adult, I know it probably didn't all go down in St. Hyacinth's basement, but it's the image imprinted on my mind, right or wrong. 

You can't go wrong with pierogies. Pockets of cheese and garlic and potatoes wrapped in soft dough and sauteed in butter? If you don't like pierogies, we can't be friends. I'll make an exception for my sister Beth, who doesn't like pierogi. Weirdo.

When the Chefs talked about putting pierogi on the menu, I was super psyched. Finally, I would learn how to make pierogi! Once I learned how easy they were to make, I kicked myself for not learning sooner. Even though my grandma always had all the food ready and waiting when we came over, I can't help but be wistful about a scenario that never was: the two of us making pierogi together. I like to think she's the one who helped me get these right on my first try. That and the fact that this dough is insanely easy to work with. Either way, thanks, Grammie!

Dust off your apron and rolling pins because homemade pierogi are absolutely worth it. The dough comes together in a cinch; no kneading, no rising, no yeast involved whatsoever. It should chill for at least an hour, but after that you're good to go. Since there's no butter in the dough, it won't lump into a hard mass, impossible to roll out until left at room temperature for hours and hours. This means less time spent waiting and more time to eat pierogi.

Fill your pierogi with whatever suits your fancy. Mashed potatoes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, sweet potatoes. And cheese, don't forget the cheese! The pierogies pictured have a duck confit mixture (we fancy), and the one suggestion I'd give about your filling is to make sure it's not too runny. You don't want your filling oozing out when you're pinching together the dough. It won't look very pretty and besides that, it'll be a pain to work with. 

There are a bunch of ways to make and fill your pierogies; I've been using the ravioli technique. I've included some pictures that I hope will help you see that it's not all that intimidating. 

Pierogi Dough 
Yield: between 32-35 medium sized pierogies

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup water, lukewarm
3 cups AP flour (plus more for rolling out dough)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1.Whisk the egg, sour cream and water together in a large bowl.
2.In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. 
3. Pour the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until dough forms. I just use my hand for this, mixing until it all comes together. Dough shouldn't be too sticky; it it's sticking to the bowl and your hand, add flour in small increments until it's a smooth ball of dough.

4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. You can chill the dough for up to a week or freeze it to work with at a later date.
5. Remove dough from fridge and make an egg wash by whisking an egg in a small container. 
5. Using small sections of dough at a time, and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangular shape, about 1/8 inch in thickness. Brush egg wash in a thin strip along the top of the dough. Scoop pierogi filling into dough, leaving a few inches between each scoop of filling. I use an ice cream scoop for nice, easy uniformity.  

6. Take the opposite side of the egg washed dough and fold it over all the fillings. Press down with your finger to indent the space between pierogies, making sure to push out any air pockets as you do this. 

7. Cut out individual pierogies. Use your fingers to pinch the pierogie shut. 

8. Bring a pot of water to boil. Drop pierogies in the water a few at at time. When they float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon.

9. In a large skillet, melt 1-2 tablespoons butter. Cook pierogies in a single layer in the skillet  until browned, 2-3 minutes. Flip over and cook other side until browned and warmed through.