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Recipe: Knish Dough and Fillings

Make you own knishes and choose from four different fillings.

By Claudia Roden

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

    Pastry Dough for Knishes and Piroshki

    This is the classic New York pastry, which bakes into a thin crisp crust. For a filling, see the recipes that follow.

    MAKES 24

    2 eggs

    ½ 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

    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. Knead again for a moment and roll out as thin as you can. Cut into rounds 3 inches (7½ 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 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 20‑25 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot.

    Cream Cheese Filling

    MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL 24 PIROSHKI

    10 oz (300g) curd or cream cheese (drained)

    4 tablespoons sour cream

    Salt and white pepper

    4 tablespoons chopped chives or dill

    1 egg, lightly beaten

    Mix all the ingredients together.

    Meat Filling

    MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL 24 PIROSHKI

    1 onion, chopped

    2 tablespoons oil

    ½ pound (250g) lean ground beef

    Salt and pepper

    2 tablespoons chopped parsley

    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.

    Potato Filling

    In the shtetl, where they sometimes ate potatoes three times a day, this filling would be a leftover.

    MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL 24 PIROSHKI

    2 medium onions, chopped

    3 tablespoons chicken or goose fat or vegetable oil

    1 lb (500g) potatoes

    Salt and pepper

    Fry the onions in the fat or oil until soft and golden. Boil the potatoes in their jackets, then peel and mash them. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and mix in the onions.

    Smoked Salmon Filling

    Patrick Goldenberg, who owns the restaurant Goldenberg, at the Avenue Wagram in Paris, calls his pies “pirojki au saumon” and uses 1 lb (500g) store‑bought puff pastry. Whereas the potato filling above evokes the world of the shtetl, this one evokes the grand world of Moscow. I use smoked­ salmon trimmings, which are sold cheap at the supermarket.

    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.