Knish Dough and Fillings

Make your own knishes and choose from four different fillings.

By

Dairy
Print this pagePrint page
knish

Reprinted with permission from The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, published by Knopf.

This is the classic New York pastry, which bakes into a thin crisp crust. We offer two filling recipes.

Ingredients


Pastry Dough for Knishes and Piroshki

2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Not quite 1 2/3 cups (250g) all‑purpose flour
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water, for glazing

Cream Cheese Filling

Salt and white pepper
4 Tablespoons chopped chives or dill
10 oz (300g) curd or cream cheese (drained)
4 Tablespoons sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

Meat Filling

2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 lb (250g) lean ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Yield:

24 knishes

Prep:

Cook:

Total:

Categories: Appetizer, Ashkenazi, Classics, Eastern European, traditional, Shabbat, Shavuot

Directions

Beat the eggs with the salt, baking powder, and oil. Gradually add the flour--just enough to make a soft dough that is no longer sticky--mixing it in with a fork to begin with, then working it in with your hand.

Knead for about 10 minutes, until very smooth and elastic, sprinkling in a little flour if necessary. Coat with oil by pouring a little into the bowl and turning the dough around in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for an hour.

To make the cream cheese filling: Mix all the ingredients together.

To make the meat filling: Fry the onion in the oil until golden. Add the meat and cook, stirring and crushing it with a fork, for about 8 minutes, until it changes color. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Let it cool before using.

Knead the dough again for a moment and roll out as thin as you can. Cut into rounds 3 inches (7 1/2 cm) in diameter. Because the dough is elastic and springs back, pull it a little to stretch it again. Place 1 Tablespoon of filling in the center of each round, then fold over and pinch the edges together firmly to seal them.

Place on greased baking sheets, brush with the egg yolk, and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 20‑25 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot.

Claudia Roden

Claudia Roden is one of England's leading food writers. Her works include the James Beard Award winning The Book of Jewish Food and A Book of Middle Eastern Food.