These fluffy fried balls, “pereschias” or “piroshki" are everyone's favorite. No one can resist their taste whether they are...
Clean and cut potatoes into pieces.
Put them in a pot of water and let them boil well for about 15 Minutes. Optionally we can add a whole peeled onion and a bay leaf for more flavor.
When they boil, drain them. Discard the bay leaf and the onion. We keep the amount of this broth that we will need and let it cool.
Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the flour and place the yeast, sugar and two tbsp. lukewarm water (sugar helps to activate the yeast quickly). Leave it aside until the yeast activates, about 30 Minutes. For faster time, to reduse itin half, we can place it on heated radiators or in the oven at 50°C/120°F.
Once the yeast has activated / risen, add the rest of the ingredients except the salt. Μake sure that all the ingredients are lukewarm at a temperature of around 40°C/100°F. For greater convenience, combine and mix all the liquids together and then pour them into the flour/yeast mix.
Knead well until flour absorbs all the liquids and finally add the salt, kneading a little more. The dough sticks to our hands quite a bit.
Cover the bowl with the dough with a cling film or cover it with a wet kitchen towel and leave it aside until it rises and almost doubles its volume for about 1 Hour . Again we can cut the time in half by placing it on the radiator or in the oven at 50°C/120°F.
While waiting for dough, prepare the filling.
Mash the potatoes with a fork.
Add the salt, pepper and our herbs (oregano or dill) and mix them.
Clean and chop the onion.
Put the oil in a deep sauce pan and sauté the chopped onion.
When the onions are sautéed, turn off the heat and add the potato filling and mix everything together. We leave it aside to cool.
Once the dough has risen and is ready, take a small amount, about the size of a walnut, and open it with hands about 10-12 cm / 4-5” inces, about the size of our palm.
Fill them with about 1 tbsp. and close it well. To make the edges of the pie stick, you can brush them with a little water.
Shape it slightly by hands, so that it takes the desired shape.
Place them on a pan with greaseproof paper on it and cover them with a soaked in warm water kitchen towel, so that they do not dry out.
By the time we finished of shaping all the piroshki, about 16 pcs for this batch, you will see that they will increase a little their size.
If it is not warm enough in your kitchen where you make/shape the piroshki, then put them in the oven at 35°C-50°C/95°F-120°F, but always covered with the wet kitchen towel. From time to time check the kitchen towel, if it gets dry out and our piroshki also dry out until are everything is made.
Place plenty of vegetable oil for frying (I used sunflower oil) in a deep-frying pan, preferably non-stick, and let it to hot enough before frying.
Fry on medium heat, turning them from all sides, so that they get a golden brown color.
Prefer to eat them as is still warm.
Those that will remain (if they remain) will be kept in an airtight container so that they do not dry out.
Servings 0