Echpochmak without yeast
Description
Homemade baking to go with tea. Traditionally these hand pies are made with puff, yeast, or short dough, but kefir dough with added sour cream is also excellent for this most delicious bake. With this recipe the dough is soft and tender, and unlike yeast dough it is easy to make and very pliable to work with. Try making this wonderful bake and come to your own conclusions.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all ingredients according to the list. For the filling, you can use any meat — beef, goose, duck, or chicken — adding black pepper and any seasonings to taste for extra zest. By the way, partially frozen meat is easier and quicker to cut.
- 2
Step 2
For the dough, combine kefir, sour cream, one egg, one egg yolk, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, salt, and sugar. Mix.
- 3
Step 3
Add about 500 grams of flour, baking powder, and starch. First mix everything with a spoon, then, sprinkling in the remaining flour gradually, continue kneading the dough by hand.
- 4
Step 4
The dough should be soft and elastic and should not stick to your hands. Shape it into a ball, cover with a towel, and let rest for 20–30 minutes.
- 5
Step 5
Let’s make the filling. Cut the meat into small cubes. It’s best to use meat with some fat.
- 6
Step 6
Cut the potatoes into slightly smaller cubes, and chop the onion as finely as you can. Rinse the green onion, pat dry, and chop it with a knife the same way. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper, and your favourite spices to taste to the filling.
- 7
Step 7
Mix everything well. The filling is ready.
- 8
Step 8
Divide the rested dough into pieces. Each piece of dough is one echpochmak. But weigh the dough pieces first: each piece should weigh about 70 grams.
- 9
Step 9
Roll each piece into a circle about the size of a tea saucer (dust the work surface lightly with flour as you go) and add the filling. For one echpochmak, use roughly the same amount of filling by weight as the dough piece. Shape into a triangle.
- 10
Step 10
Join the edges of the circle at the top in three places, like a pyramid. Pinch them so that a small opening remains in the center.
- 11
Step 11
Pinch the seams shut carefully in a “braid” or “rope” pattern, or the pies may fall apart while baking.
- 12
Step 12
Transfer the prepared pieces to a baking sheet. You can grease the baking sheet with oil or dust it with flour; I use a special mat.
- 13
Step 13
Pour melted butter or clarified butter into the center of the echpochmak. Brush the surface with egg yolk. You can substitute the butter with broth or put a piece of salt pork in the hole.
- 14
Step 14
Bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Do not overbake or let them dry out. If your meat is on the dry side, after about 30 minutes, when the echpochmaki turn golden brown, take them out and pour 1–2 more teaspoons of melted butter or rich meat broth into the opening of each “pyramid.” Then bake the pastries until fully cooked.
- 15
Step 15
Yeast-free echpochmaki are ready. As soon as the pastries are warm, serve them right away. They’re delicious!