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Martha Stewart basic pierogi is a tender, chewy Polish dumpling dish made with egg, sour cream and a simple flour dough that comes together in about 2 hours. This make-ahead homemade dumpling recipe fits Sunday brunch, cozy weekend breakfast ideas, holiday dinner tables and potluck spreads.
Let the dough rest for a full hour under an inverted bowl, because that rest relaxes the gluten and makes it easy to roll thin. Skip it and the dough keeps springing back, so your circles shrink and the pierogi turn tough.
Martha's dough gets its softness from sour cream whisked with the egg, then thinned with both milk and water before the flour goes in. She also lets the shaped pierogi wait on a linen towel dusted with cornmeal, which keeps them from sticking without adding more flour.
What you need for this recipe
J.K. Adams French rolling pin
It rolls each piece of dough to an even 1/8 inch thickness.
Buy on AmazonOXO stainless slotted spoon
It lifts the pierogi out of the boiling water without breaking the seams.
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Martha Stewart Basic Pierogi
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, PolishDifficulty: Medium2
servings1
hour15
minutes30
minutes380
kcalA loose, sticky dough turns smooth and elastic with a few minutes of kneading, then gets cut, filled and pinched into crescents. Simmered until they float, the pierogi come out soft and chewy with a well-sealed edge.
Ingredients
1 large egg, lightly whisked
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
Pierogi with Potato Filling and Brown Butter
Pierogi with Cabbage Filling and Clarified Butter
Pierogi with Blueberry Filling and Spiced Sour Cream
Pierogi with Italian Plum Filling and Spiced Sour Cream
Coarse salt
Pierogi with Potato Filling and Brown Butter
Pierogi with Cabbage Filling and Clarified Butter
Pierogi with Italian Plum Filling and Spiced Sour Cream
Coarse Salt
Directions
- Mix the dough: Whisk together 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons sour cream, then whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup water. Stir in 5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, where it will be loose and sticky at first. Fold and turn it with a bench scraper for 8 to 10 minutes, dusting with flour only as needed, until it turns elastic and no longer sticks.
- Rest the dough: Cover the dough with an inverted bowl and let it rest for 1 hour. Don't add too much flour while kneading, since extra flour toughens the dough.
- Prepare the baking sheet: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean linen towel and dust it generously with yellow cornmeal so the pierogi won't stick.
- Roll the dough: Roll 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a round 1/8 inch thick. Keep the other pieces covered so they don't dry out while you work.
- Cut the circles: Cut circles very close together with a 3-inch cutter or glass, or a 5-inch one for the plum version. Cover the circles with plastic wrap, then repeat with the remaining dough.
- Fill and boil water: Place filling in the center of each dough circle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Shape the pierogi: Hold 1 circle in your hand and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges to form a well-sealed crescent.
- Rest on the towel: Transfer each pierogi to the cornmeal-dusted towel and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining circles and filling.
- Boil the pierogi: Working in batches, drop the pierogi into the boiling water, where they will sink and then rise. Once they float, cook them about 2 minutes more, or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness.
- Finish and serve: For savory pierogi, coat a platter with half the butter, then move the pierogi over with a slotted spoon. Drizzle the tops with the remaining butter and season with coarse salt, or for sweet pierogi, dot with sour cream.
Tools for this recipe
- J.K. Adams French rolling pin, OXO stainless slotted spoon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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FAQs
Why is my pierogi dough so sticky?
This dough starts loose and sticky on purpose, so don't panic and dump in flour. Keep folding it with a bench scraper for 8 to 10 minutes and it will come together on its own.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
The dough needs its 1 hour rest under an inverted bowl before you roll it, so you can plan around that window. Keep the unused pieces covered while you work, since uncovered dough dries out and cracks when you fold it.
What can I use if I don't have a 3-inch cutter?
A drinking glass with a 3-inch opening cuts clean circles just as well. Cut them very close together so you waste as little dough as possible.
How do I keep the pierogi from sticking before boiling?
Set them on a linen towel dusted generously with yellow cornmeal and loosely cover with plastic wrap. The cornmeal works better than flour because it doesn't get gummy as the pierogi sit.
How do I know when the pierogi are cooked?
They sink to the bottom first and then rise to the surface. Once they float, give them about 2 minutes more, or up to 4 minutes for plum pierogi, depending on ripeness.
This week on Amazon
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals run through December 1. The picks from this recipe we would check first: J.K. Adams French rolling pin, OXO stainless slotted spoon.
See the dealsMartha's 100 favorite recipes, all in one book: Martha: The Cookbook.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
