Pyrizhky(Baked Turnovers)
Submitted by fatcans
Pyrizhky are Ukrainian baked turnovers with a flaky sour cream and butter pastry dough, filled and glazed with egg wash and coarse sugar crystals. Crisp, rich, and endlessly adaptable.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
2 hrsCOOK
20 minREADY
Pyrizhky are Ukrainian turnovers made with a rich, short pastry dough that shatters when you bite through it. Sour cream in the dough keeps it tender and adds a subtle tang, while cold butter cut into the flour creates those flaky layers.
This is a versatile dough that works with sweet or savory fillings. The recipe leaves the filling up to you, so think jam, farmer’s cheese, sauteed cabbage, or seasoned ground meat. Each turnover gets a spoonful, a fold, and a fork-crimp around the edge.
The egg wash glaze and coarse sugar crystals on top bake into a golden, crunchy shell that looks like it came from a European bakery.
Chef Tips
- Keep the butter ice cold. If it softens before baking, the pastry won’t be flaky. Work quickly when cutting it into the flour.
- Chill the dough for the full 2 hours minimum. This short dough is fragile and tears easily when warm. Overnight is even better.
- Roll to exactly ¼ inch. Thinner and they’ll crack when folding; thicker and the ratio of dough to filling gets heavy.
- Use a non-stick baking sheet if you have one. This dough is high in fat and sticks to ungreased pans.
Variations
- Fill with sweetened cream cheese and dried cherries for a classic Eastern European sweet filling.
- Stuff with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and dill for a savory appetizer version.
- Use poppy seed filling (mak) for a traditional Ukrainian holiday turnover.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the flour and cold butter in a processor or cut the butter with a pastry cutter into coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolks, salt, and cream and process or knead lightly until the dough forms a ball. Cut in half, wrapping each have in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Roll out half the dough on a lightly floured work surface, to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 3-inch cutter or wine glass. Place a spoonful of the filling on one side of each round, fold the top over, brush with a little of the egg glaze and seal with a fork or pastry cutter for a fancy edge. Place each turnover on a lightly greased or non-stick baking sheet and brush with the glaze then sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Bake in a preheated 375 Degree F oven for about 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. NOTE: This is a short dough so a non-stick baking sheet would be the best. If it is not available, brush as little grease on the sheet as possible using a pastry brush or new paint brush.
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