Polish Pierogi Recipe

Homemade Pierogis - Great for Freezing

Mar 4, 2008 Judith Zwolak

You don't need a pierogi maker to create these authentic Polish pierogies. Just use those appendages at the end of your arms.

Polish cooks raised on pierogies can stuff and seal these little potato pies expertly. The novice pierogi maker will need patience, practice, and lightly floured hands to fold the dough over the cheese-and-potato filling, creating a seal that won’t burst when these staples of Polish cuisine cook in boiling water.

Recipe for Polish Cheese and Potato Pierogi

Pierogi dough:

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 egg
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a spoon and knead lightly in the bowl. Rest dough for one-half hour covered with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

Meanwhile, make the filling:

• 1 to 1½ pounds farmer’s cheese, or dry plain curd cottage cheese
• 2 to 3 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed.

Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

Directions for Making Polish Pierogies

After one-half hour, knead the dough a few times on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out with a 2-1/2-inch to 3-inch wide round cookie cutter or drinking glass. (Dip cutter or glass in flour to keep dough from sticking).

Place a teaspoon full of filling in the middle of each dough circle. (When you become an expert, add a little more filling for a plumper pierogi). With floured hands, fold the dough over the filling, and, starting at one end of the resulting crescent, pinch the dough together to enclose the filling. As you pinch the dough closed, continuously work the filling into the pierogi with floured fingers. Make sure the pierogi dough is tightly sealed, or these little dumplings will come apart when boiled.

Place filled pierogi on wax paper while you work.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. When the water comes to a rolling boil, drop 8 to 10 pierogies into pot and turn the heat to medium high or a gentle boil. Nudge the pierogies carefully with a wooden spoon if they don’t rise.

The peirogies are done when they float to the top after 5 or 10 minutes.

Remove pierogies from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Boil the remaining pierogies in groups using the above directions.

Pierogies are bland without a melted butter and onion topping.

Butter and Onion Topping

Melt:

• 2 sticks of butter

Add:

• One chopped onion

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until onion is soft.

Drizzle over cooked pierogi.

Freezing Pierogi

Pierogies freeze well and are time-consuming to make, so many Polish cooks create a double batch and freeze the pierogi after boiling them. Reheat in a microwave or cook thawed pierogi in melted butter in a skillet.

The copyright of the article Polish Pierogi Recipe in Recipes is owned by Judith Zwolak. Permission to republish Polish Pierogi Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Pierogi with Onions

Comments

Sep 7, 2008 2:51 PM

Guest :

How many Pierogi does this recipe make?

Sep 8, 2008 6:31 AM

Judith Zwolak :

Thanks for asking. The recipe makes 30-40 pierogies, depending on the size of each one.

Sep 14, 2008 10:33 AM

Guest :

I took a polish cooking class and their recipe for pierogi dough has ALOT (5c flour to 2 c sour cream)of sour cream in it. My mother never used sour cream nor does you recipe. While the dough with the sour cream is very good and does not taste like sour cream (I do not care for it)we were shown to make the pieriogi one at a time. My concern is I may not be able to roll out the dough as you suggest in your directions. How do you think this much sour cream would affect rolling of the dough. I would like make more than one at a time.
Appreciate you suggestions and I will try your recipe also, sounds closer to my mothers.
Thank you,
Pat Bakre

Sep 14, 2008 11:02 AM

Judith Zwolak :

Pat,

I don't think the sour cream should affect the rolling of the dough. I think your recipe sounds delicious.

Good luck,
Judy

4 Comments