Pirozhki

Pirozhki with Cabbage and Egg

Classic Russian yeasted buns filled with braised cabbage and hard-boiled egg, baked until golden. They are a staple of Russian home cooking and roadside bakeries.

Prep

30 min

Cook

35 min

Total

65 min

Serves

12

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• •7 g (2¼ tsp) instant dry yeast, one standard sachet
• •10 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine salt
• •250 ml (1 cup) warm whole milk, around 38°C / 100°F
• •60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• •1 large egg, for the dough
• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) white cabbage, shredded fine
• •1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
• •3 large eggs, hard-boiled for the filling
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fresh dill, finely chopped
• •2 g (½ tsp) ground black pepper
• •1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk for egg wash

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: in a large bowl whisk the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Pour in the warm milk, melted butter and the egg and mix to a soft, slightly tacky dough. Knead on a floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, until roughly doubled.
2. 2 While the dough rises, make the filling: place the 3 eggs in a small pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 9 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Cool, peel and chop finely.
3. 3 Heat the sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add the shredded cabbage, a pinch of salt and the pepper, stir to coat, then lower the heat, cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and most liquid has evaporated. Uncover and cook 2 minutes more to drive off excess moisture; the filling should be quite dry.
4. 4 Transfer the cabbage to a bowl, let it cool until just warm, then fold in the chopped egg and dill. Taste and adjust salt. Cool completely before filling.
5. 5 Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces (about 65–70 g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, then flatten into a disc about 10 cm / 4 in across and 5 mm thick, keeping the centre slightly thicker than the edges.
6. 6 Place a generous tablespoon (about 45 g) of filling in the centre of each disc. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon, pinch the edges firmly together, then twist or crimp the seam to seal completely. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely and rest for 15–20 minutes.
7. 7 Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (conventional). Brush the pirozhki with egg wash. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the dough reaches at least 94°C / 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.