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• Dough ingredients
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp. dry yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• Apx. 3 cups flour

• Filling ingredients
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. hot-smoked salmon, flaked, with bones and skin removed
• 3 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup farmer’s “quark” cheese (or ricotta)

• Egg Wash ingredients
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced

Dough: Heat milk to 110 degrees. I use a stand mixer for this next part. Pour milk into the bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top and stir around a bit. Wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to dissolve. Stir in sugar, salt, butter, and egg. Mix until well combined. Using the dough hook, stir in 2 cups flour. On low speed, over the course of ten minutes, let the gluten build while occasionally adding more flour. Once the dough is smooth to the touch by using the least amount of flour possible, set the dough aside to rise to double in size, about an hour and a half.

Filling: While the dough is rising, melt butter in a skillet and saute onions in butter until they are translucent. Do not brown the onions. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place the flaked salmon into a large bowl and stir in the onion and dill. In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy. Stir in garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper until well mixed. Gently stir in farmer’s cheese. It’s okay to have lumps, don’t overmix. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the flaked salmon mixture. Again, do not overmix.

Assembly: Prepare a couple baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat or by greasing. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. To prevent them from drying out, cover the pieces you are not working with. Roll the first piece into a 7″ by 4″ rectangle. Lay about 1/2 scant cup of filling along 3/4 the length of the dough. Pull the dough up each side of the filling and press along to the top to seal. Make sure not to get filling onto the edges of the dough or it may not seal. The 1/4 length without filling, press flat. Make sure the seam is sealed very well. Using a sharp floured knife, cut the flat part in half to form the tail. Move it to a prepared baking sheet. Using a finger, gently press little indentations along side the seam on each side. Repeat with the remaining seven pieces of dough. Cover the baking sheets. Let stand until puffy, about 30 minutes. This is easiest to see on the tails.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the egg wash by mixing together an egg and water. Brush the egg wash carefully over each puffy piroshki. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about ten minutes before serving. Yum!

NOTES: This recipe originates with Tatyana’s Everyday Food. Tatyana has an excellent video of how to make these. Be certain to seal them well or they may split open. Yes, this is experience talking to you. Piroshki’s are like calzone. The bread is meant to be thin and the filling generous. I smoked my own salmon and I made my own farmer’s (ricotta) cheese. These Piroshkis make a very filling lunch. They freeze well.