Basic Polish Pierogi Dough with Three Fillings

Polish

Basic Polish Pierogi Dough with Three Fillings

Homemade Polish Pierogi are filled pasta dumplings, similar to ravioli, but with unique fillings like sauerkraut and potato and cheese. Our recipe for this easy-to-work-with Polish Pierogi dough is complete with three tasty, traditional filling options: Cheesy Potato, Herbed Potato, and Sauerkraut.

Ingredients

For The Cheesy Potato Filling *

1 large potato, cut into ½” cubes (roughly 2 c)

½ onion, diced

2 oz (½ c) shredded cheese, (cheddar works well)

¼ tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

For The Herbed Potato Filling *

1 large potato, cut into ½” cubes (roughly 2 c)

½ onion, diced

1 tsp parsley

½ tsp thyme

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

For The Sauerkraut Filling *

8 oz (1 ½ c) sauerkraut, drained slightly

½ onion

1 Tbsp sour cream

For The Basic Pierogi Dough

1 ¾ c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

dash salt

½ c water

Cooking the Filled Pierogi

8 c water

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp salted butter, (optional)

Instructions

For the Cheesy Potato Filling

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.

Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.

In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.

Add onions to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer.

(Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)

Add cheese, garlic, and salt. Mix well.

Set filling aside to cool.

For the Herbed Potato Filling

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.

Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.

In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.

Add onions and seasonings to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer. (Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)

Mix well and set aside to cool.

For the Sauerkraut Filling

In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.

In a medium bowl, mix together sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream until combined.

Set filling aside to cool.

For the Pierogi Dough

Mix the egg with the flour and dash of salt.

Add water slowly, using only as much as needed to create a smooth and soft dough.

Roll out to 1/8” thickness.

(At this point, if you have your fillings ready to go, it's a good idea to get a pot of water boiling with 2 quarts of water. Once the water begins to boil, add 1 tsp salt, and turn it to a steady simmer. This way, you can start cooking the pierogi as you fill them.)

Using a 3 ½ ” cookie cutter (or the mouth of a juice glass if you don't have cookie cutters, like us) cut circles out of the dough. Re-roll dough as needed until all has been used.

Place about a tablespoon of filling slightly off-center of the round. Moisten the edge of your dough with a little water, and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal well.

Cooking The Filled Pierogi**

Place pierogi into boiling water, and boil until the dough is tender 7-10 minutes.

Remove from boiling water with a large slotted spoon and place in a serving dish.

If you like, heat a little butter in a frying pan and transfer cooked pierogi directly from the water to the frying pan and saute until slightly golden. Add additional butter as needed.