Cheese Piroshki from Doma

"Doma (meaning 'home') is a celebration of the meeting point between traditional flavors and modern dishes from the Balkan diaspora...A familiar recipe to many countries, this stuffed and fried potato dough has a tonne of variations in North Macedonia alone. Some make it with minced meat or ham and cheese, some without potato, and some leave it plain for crucial plate mopping or soaking up too many drinks."

- Spasia Pandora Dinkovski

What's your family's favorite deep-fried snack? Well, we've found ours. They're crispy on the outside and you can pretty much put anything you want inside them!

I'm talking about cheese piroshki.

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Doma

This cheese piroshki recipe comes from Doma: Traditional Flavors and Modern Recipes from the Balkan Diaspora by Spasia Pandora Dinkovski.

To set the scene, Yugoslavia was a socialist federation made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia (including Kosovo and Vojvodina), and Slovenia, and broken up following the war in 1992. Whatever impact socialism, communism, or conflict had on our region, a sense of nostalgia will always remain for that sense of togetherness. 

I remember my mum desperately trying to dial my nan's number on one of those phones that lived on the wall, her shaking hands frantically winding the numbers, shortly after hearing news of the first bombs. 

The former Yugoslavian countries are who, naturally as a Macedonian, I have the most in common with. We are Balkan, ex-Yugoslavian, South-East European. We speak a Slavic language, and we were occupied by the Ottoman Empire for 500 years, hence the heavy Turkish influence on our cuisines. 

How to Make Cheese Piroshki from Doma

Ingredients

• milk
• yeast - fast-action yeast will work for these piroshki
• sugar - we like to substitute stevia for sugar but they're delicious either way
• potatoes
• eggs - you'll need 3 eggs to dip the piroshki before you roll them in breadcrumbs, and 2 egg yolks for the dough
• salt
• pepper - freshly ground black pepper. We like Aranya black pepper ground in a molcajete
• flour - grab your favorite all-purpose flour. Ours is Jovial einkorn
• breadcrumbs - fine plain breadcrumbs, not a blend
• oil - this cheese piroshki recipe calls for vegetable or sunflower oil, but any neutral oil will work
• cheese - kashkaval, Gouda or mild cheddar are recommended for the best results
• lemon - lemon wedges for serving
• sauce - Courgette tartar or mayonnaise is recommended for serving with cheese piroshki, but you can also get creative

Equipment

• prep bowls
• kitchen scale
• measuring spoons
• measuring cup
• whisk
• vegetable peeler
• child-friendly knife
• utility knife
• cutting board
• spatula
• immersion blender or potato masher
• spider strainer
• small saucepan
• stock pot
• rolling pin
• silicone mat
• dough scraper
• box grater
• wok or saucepan

Heat the Milk

Wash your hands with soap and water. Use a measuring cup to measure the milk and pour it into a small saucepan. Heat the pan over low heat until the milk is lukewarm to the touch. Turn off the stove.

Do not let the milk get hot because hot milk will kill the yeast. Pour the milk into a clean bowl or jar.

Combine the Yeast, Sugar, and Milk

Use a kitchen scale to measure out the yeast needed to make cheese piroshki. Transfer the yeast to the bowl with the warm milk. Add a pinch of sugar.

Use a whisk to combine. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes or until frothy.

Boil the Potatoes

While the yeast mixture sits, start on the potatoes. Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler. My kids often need assistance with the peeler and finding the right angle.

Use a child-friendly knife to cut the potatoes into cubes.

Transfer the potatoes to a pot and cover with water. Heat the pot over high heat. Boil the potatoes for about 10 to 15 minutes or until soft.

Mash the Potatoes

Drain the potatoes and use an immersion blender or potato masher to mash them. They should be completely smooth when finished. Set them aside to cool.

Pour the Yeast Mixture into the Potatoes

Pour the yeast mixture into the potatoes and use a spatula to combine.

Add the Egg Yolks, Water, Salt, & Pepper

Separate the 2 egg yolks and add them to the potato mixture. Wash your hands. Use a measuring spoon to add 1 ¼ tablespoon of lukewarm water and the salt. Add some black pepper. Stir to combine.

Gradually Add the Flour

Use a kitchen scale to measure out the flour. Gradually add the flour to the potato mixture and stir between additions. Use your hands to work the mixture until it forms a sticky dough that comes away from the dough when you pull at it. Add more flour as needed.

Let the Dough Rest for 1 Hour

Coat a medium boil with some oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rest in a warm spot in your kitchen for 1 hour.

Set Up the Breadcrumbs and Eggs on Separate Plates

Pour the breadcrumbs onto a large plate and set aside. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and pour them onto a large plate. Set the plate beside the plate with the breadcrumbs. Season them with some salt and pepper.

Create 12 Dough Balls

Roll the dough out onto a clean, lightly-floured surface. Flour your hands and a rolling pin. Use a dough scraper to divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape, about 2 inches thick.

Cut each sausage shape into 6 equal portions for a total of 12. Roll each piece into a ball. Oil a plate and transfer the balls to the plate. Cover with a tea towel and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Grate the Cheese & Pour the Oil into the Pan

Use a box grater to grate the cheese and set aside. Pour enough oil into the wok or saucepan to cover half of the piroshki. Heat the pan over medium-low heat. Adjust the temperature as needed to ensure the piroshki don't brown too quickly.

Create the Cheese Piroshki

Roll out a dough ball to the thickness of fresh pasta. Spoon about ½ ounce of the cheese onto the center of the dough, leaving room around the edges.

Fold over the bottom of the dough and pinch to enclose the cheese. Fold in each side. Roll the dough like a burrito and roll up, pinching to close. Re-mould as needed to get an even, fat cigar-shape. Be careful not to break the dough.

Repeat for each dough ball.

Dip & Roll

Check the oil: To check if the oil is ready, take a pinch of dough and drop it into the oil. If the oil is hot enough the dough should immediately start bubbling and rise to the surface.

When the oil is ready, grab a piroshki, dip it in the egg, roll it in the breadcrumb, and gently drop it into the pan. Repeat to fill the pan, allowing space between each piroshki to turn.

Fry the Cheese Piroshki for 3 to 4 Minutes

Fry the piroshki for 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed to ensure they cook evenly. They will be golden-brown when finished. Turn off the stove.

Transfer Them to A Clean Towel

Use tongs or a spider strainer to remove the piroshki from the pan and transfer them to a clean tea towel or paper towel on a plate. Serve these cheese piroshki with courgette tartar or a dollop of mayo.