Easy Pierogi Dough

Prepare your area and assemble your team. You will need a large, clean surface for preparing and rolling out your dough and an area to place your pierogi before boiling and also after boiling. Have some clean tea towels on hand to cover your pierogi before boiling so they don't dry out.

Choose your weapon 😉 You can make your dough by hand, in a bowl or on the counter top, or even whizz it up in a food processor. You choose the method that works best for you. I switched over to the food processor method just because it is faster for me.

Aerate the flour. Sift the flour or whisk it in a bowl or zap it in a food processor for about 20 seconds.

Boil water like you are making a cup of tea. Pour out a cup of hot water and add a tablespoon of butter or oil. I use a spouted sauce pitcher or a Pyrex heat safe pitcher to make it easier to pour out into the dough.

Slowly add the hot water to the flour and mix, with a wooden spoon if the water is too hot and then with your hands. In the food processor, you can add hot water, little by little while you mix.

Keep adding hot water until soft, pliable dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water. In the food processor, it will pull away from the sides and form a ball.

Place your dough on a floured surface, flour your rolling pin and go! Roll out the pierogi dough to a thickness you are comfortable working with. Expert pierogi makers often roll their dough quite thin, but my family is a doughy family so I can roll it a little thicker.

Cut your dough into circles, fill with a filling of your choice. Fold over and pinch. If you don't wait too long, your dough should still be soft and then no extra water is needed to seal the pierogi with just a few pinches. Place your pierogi on a floured surface and cover with a tea towel until time to boil.

Tips and tricks: Flour

If you live near a Polish store and you'd like to buy Polish flour look for Poznańska typ 500. It's easy to spot because it has a picture of pierogi on the package. Otherwise use all-purpose flour.

Tips and tricks: Extra ingredients

When I asked Babcia about adding eggs or sour cream to the dough she said "nie kombinuj, Kryśka" meaning something like I shouldn't get any bright ideas. She never added anything else to her regular pierogi dough, not even salt, as she salted her filling and salted the water she boiled the pierogi in.