Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs sugar
2 packages quick-rising yeast
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
1/4 lb bacon, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb boneless pork butt, coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Glaze
1 egg
1 Tbs water
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Directions: |
Directions:In a small saucepan heat the milk, butter, salt and sugar until the butter is melted and all is blended. Cool to warm, about 105 degrees. If you have a heavy electric mixer that will make bread, such as a KitchenAid, place the liquid mixture in the mixing bowl and proceed as follows. If you do not have such a mixer, simply do the rest by hand. Add the yeast to the warm liquid mixture and stir to dissolve. Mix in the egg.
Add 1 cup of the flour to the warm liquid mixture and mix to form a smooth batter. Or stir the flour into the liquids with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and allow the sponge to rise for about 1/2 hour. Using a dough hook, knead in the remaining cup of flour until the mixture is very smooth. OR add the flour by hand and knead for about 5 minutes on a floured surface.
Place the dough on a plastic counter and cover with a large bowl. Allow to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
Filling
Heat in a frying pan and add the bacon, pork and onion. Saute over medium-high heat until the meat browns a bit and the onion is tender. Do not overcook. Drain in a colander until cooled to room temperature. Add salt and pepper to taste
Form the piragis by pulling some of the dough toward you and flattening out a bit, a little at a time. It should be quite thin. Push it with your fingers until it is. Put 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling about 1 inch in from the edge of the flatted dough. Be very careful not to spread the oil from the filling around the edge of the dough, as it will prevent the dough from sealing. Fold the outer edge of the dough over the filling and press the edge a bit to seal it. Cut off the dumpling with the edge of a 3 inch round water glass so that the crescent is formed. Pinch the edges a bit and place the pirage on a greased baking sheet. Be sure that you pinch each well or the will open during baking and "laugh at you" since they will seem to have their mouths open in great joy. Continue until all of the dough and filling are used. Don't keep kneading the dough, as it will get tough.
Glaze
Mix the egg and water well and brush the piragi with this.
Let the piragi rise for about 15 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until a lovely brown. |
This recipe for Latvian Piragi is from