I ran across the video linked below a few weeks ago. Great soundtrack, but sparse on details. One would almost think it wasn't even intended to be a cooking video in the first place. Hit play, and then scroll after the song is done.
I wanted some pierogi, but now I had to look for alternative recipes, and then adapt them to eliminate dairy. My first attempt tried to combine a few recipes I found, and it was a bit underwhelming. The second time, I used the King Arthur Flour Homemade Pierogi Recipe as the basis for my baking, and it went pretty well. Here's the recipe with my notes.
Dough
Ingredients
- 2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream (I used the Forager Project dairy-free alternative.)
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (I used Earth Balance instead.)
Directions
Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage.
It was very clumpy indeed.
Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball.
The substitute ingredients seemed to make this a VERY sticky ball.
Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.
I got dough everywhere, but it worked. Trust the process, as they say.
Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours.
This resting and chilling time did change the dough consistency a lot and made it more workable.
Filling
You could follow the King Arthur Flour recipe, swapping in your preferred cheese alternative if need be. I did not.
The first time, I tried to make a savory blend of herbs, potatoes, diced bratwurst, and other stuff. Too complicated, not recommended.
On the second batch a week or two later, I used instant mashed potatoes, about 1/3 cup sauerkraut, and diced sauteed onions for the second batch, and it worked well. I swapped in Earth Balance for the butter, but otherwise followed the box directions for the spuds. Much better, and the brats are better served on the side.
Preparation
Copying from the King Arthur Flour recipe again:
Roll half the dough 1/8" thick. Use a 2" round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups.
My circle was a bit larger than that. I also used my scraps to make a new ball of dough and re-rolled it out to make another sheet of dough for more pierogi.
Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork.
I tried some with the fork, some not. Go with the fork step. It keeps them sealed better.
At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Only cook about 10 pierogi at a time, so that they have room to float without sticking. When the pierogi float, they're done. The time will vary depending on if they're fresh or frozen.
I'll take their word for it, because I boiled them all right away.
Sauté the shallots or onion in the butter in a large skillet until the onion begins to brown. Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped. Serve hot with additional sour cream, applesauce, or other condiments.
I skipped this step because I was hungry, and not all recipes I found online called for it, but they might have been better if they were crispier. Other recipes suggest broiling with vegetables, for example.
Results
Should you try making your own pierogi? Probably. It was time-consuming, but tasty. If you have dietary restrictions, that DIY process is also just part of life. I had fun, and got a tasty meal out of the process too. I plan to try this with other variations while refining my technique, because there is a definite knack to getting these made right, and I have not mastered it yet. The Germanic and Slavic elements in my lineage offer no instinctive guidance, either.
What have you had to make from scratch, whether due to dietary restrictions or just a lack of pre-made options you liked? What are your comfort foods? Share your story, pictures, or recipes in the comments! Good engagement (my subjective opinion, obviously) gets a good upvote, and you should support other commenters you find adding to the conversation as well, here and elsewhere.
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