Description
Polish pierogi celebrate comfort with handcrafted dumplings stuffed with creamy potato, sharp cheddar, and caramelized onions. Tender pasta-like dough wraps tender fillings, offering hearty warmth that connects generations of family recipes from Eastern European kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
Potato Filling:
- 2 lbs (907 grams) russet potatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ounces (57 grams) cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pierogi Dough:
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil (or vegetable oil)
Bacon Topping:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sour cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare potatoes by boiling them in water until fork-tender, approximately 25 minutes. Ensure complete submersion during cooking.
- Drain and allow potatoes to cool briefly, then thoroughly mash into a smooth consistency.
- Incorporate salt, melted butter, cream cheese, and mozzarella into the potato mixture. Blend until well combined and set aside.
- Create dough by whisking warm water, milk, sour cream, egg, oil, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Gradually introduce flour to the liquid mixture, mixing until a cohesive dough forms. Adjust flour quantity to prevent stickiness.
- Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until achieving a smooth, elastic texture. Allow to rest, covered, for half an hour.
- Divide dough into two portions, working with one section at a time on a floured surface.
- Roll out dough to approximately ⅛-inch thickness and cut into 3-inch circular shapes.
- Place potato filling in the center of each dough circle, ensuring precise placement.
- Carefully fold dough over filling, sealing edges completely with a pinching motion to prevent leakage.
- Crimp edges using a twist technique for additional security.
- Render bacon in a skillet until crispy, then incorporate melted butter. Set aside for later use.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil.
- Gently lower pierogi into boiling water, cooking until they float and water returns to a rolling boil.
- Extract pierogi using a slotted spoon, layering with bacon-butter mixture to prevent adhesion.
- Serve immediately, accompanied by a dollop of sour cream for enhanced flavor.
Notes
- Customize the potato filling by experimenting with different cheeses like sharp cheddar or gouda for extra flavor complexity.
- Ensure dough elasticity by kneading thoroughly and allowing proper resting time, which helps develop gluten and makes pierogi more tender.
- Prevent pierogi from sticking during boiling by adding a splash of oil to the water and stirring gently.
- Freeze uncooked pierogi on a baking sheet before
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 307
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 462 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg