Hello, welcome. Thank you so much for being here!
Pierogis are such an autumn and winter staple in my family, so, with the turning of the new season, I had to share my long fermented pierogi dough along with our classic stuffing combination.
Pierogis are typically one of our meatless meals (but they can be stuffed with a meat filling). We enjoy them plated with roasted vegetables and seasonal fruit, and we dip them in a sour cream sauce.
These take a bit more effort to make and cook up, but they’re definitely worth it!
FAQs about pierogis
Can you freeze pierogis?
Yes! When I freeze this recipe, it usually is the wholly formed pierogi before I’ve boiled and fried it. You can thaw the pierogis or just pop them straight from frozen into the boiling pot – just cook them a little longer.
Do you really make all of these pierogis at once?
I love to do a big batch of these dumplings so that I can freeze them for later meals, but – more often than not – I don’t always have the time to whip out 50 pierogis in one sitting. So one day for dinner I’ll cook up half of this recipe, store the filling and dough separately in the fridge, and then make fresh pierogis to sprinkle throughout our meals for the rest of the week.
Can you halve this recipe?
Absolutely! If you’re low on time, this is a great option. Halve both the dough and the filling measurements.
Tools you may need
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking sheet
Rolling pin
Biscuit cutter or glass
Pot
Skillet
Ingredients list
Sourdough starter or discard
Flour
Salt
Oil
Water
Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Parsley
Cheddar Cheese
Homemade Sourdough Pierogis
Yield: 45-50 pierogis
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ferment time: 8-24 hours
Cook time: 10 minutes
Measurements
Pierogi Dough
1 C sourdough starter or discard
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP oil
1/2 C water
Traditional Filling
2 C mashed potatoes
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Making the filling
1. If you have no left over mashed potatoes from a previous meal, boil 2 cups worth of potatoes.
2. Sauté onion and garlic until softened and translucent.
3. Combine mashed potatoes, onion and garlic, parsley, cheese, and salt and pepper.
4. Set aside.
Shaping the pierogis
1. Mix dough ingredients together and let ferment on the counter for 8-24 hours. Depending on your preferred level of fermentation and the time you have that day, you can store the dough in the refrigerator. Just make sure to pull it out of the refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before working with it.
2. Working with the dough in sections, roll out the dough until it’s 1/8th of an inch thick.
3. Using your biscuit cutter or glass, cut out circles from your rolled dough.
4. Add a heaping 1/2 tsp of filling onto each circle.
5. Wet your finger with water, and drag it around half of the outside of the circle. This will help both halves of the dough to seal when you fold it together in the next step.
6. Seal the filling inside by folding the circle and pressing the edges together, creating a half circle.
Cooking the pierogis
1. As you shape your pierogis, bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Boil your pierogis for 3-5 minutes, then pat dry. You can stop at this step and eat the pierogis, or you can crisp up the outsides of the dumplings – which is what I prefer to do.
3. On a preheated skillet over medium-high heat, fry the pierogis for 2 minutes on each side – or until golden brown. I love to fry up these pierogis in bacon grease for extra flavor.
4. Enjoy with sour cream and roasted vegetables!
Plan of Action
Start your dough fermenting the evening before the dinner where you’re planning to serve your pierogis. Whenever you have time throughout the next day, shape and fill your pierogis. Store in the fridge until dinner preparations. If you plan for dinner at 5 PM, begin cooking the pierogis at 4:30 PM. Enjoy!
Here are some other sourdough recipes you may enjoy:
