Making Pierogies Solo
January 27, 2023 8:43 AM Subscribe
I would like to make pierogies. I know that pierogies are often made by a group of people working together, because it's a big task. However, I am only one person, working alone. I'm looking for advice on how to streamline the process.
Can I make the dough and/or the filling on one day, and then roll out & assemble the pierogies a different day (the next day)? If I do it all in one day, does it make sense to make the filling first, or the dough first?
If you have any other advice, suggestions, or best practices for making pierogies, please mention them. Thanks!
Can I make the dough and/or the filling on one day, and then roll out & assemble the pierogies a different day (the next day)? If I do it all in one day, does it make sense to make the filling first, or the dough first?
If you have any other advice, suggestions, or best practices for making pierogies, please mention them. Thanks!
We're of the get the clan together and make 50 dozen bent so I don't know how this works if you spread it out however one trick is to use the potatoe water to make your dough. Obviously this requires making the filling first.
posted by Mitheral at 9:34 AM on January 27, 2023
posted by Mitheral at 9:34 AM on January 27, 2023
Best answer: I took a pierogi-making class once. We did everything at once, although it was a pretty small batch (3-4 servings). I don't see much reason why you couldn't split it up, though. Personally, I feel a lot more comfortable with the filling (I make mashed potatoes all the time) than the dough (I never bake), so while I'm confident that making the filling the day before wouldn't be a problem, I don't know about the dough. So that's my suggestion, if you're going to split it up: make the filling first.
As for tips, don't eat all the filling. :( Had to learn this one the hard way.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:00 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
As for tips, don't eat all the filling. :( Had to learn this one the hard way.
posted by kevinbelt at 10:00 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I've started doing this as a tribute to my late dad, using our Ancestral Pierogi Recipe. It is time-consuming and weirdly labor-intensive, but because there's a memorial aspect to it for me, I just sort of go with it.
I usually make the filling first thing in the morning (could do it the day before and refrigerate), and then make the dough and handle assembly later in the day. I usually end up assembling and freezing a few dozen, uncooked. (This year I foolishly used wax paper in my freezer package and it was a disaster. Do not recommend. Use freezer paper, or arrange them more sensibly than I did [jumbled stacks] if you want to go that route.)
I think I would NOT make the dough in advance. But that is a very fear-motivated response on my part.
If I were not my father's daughter, I would also streamline the process by using a pierogi press (or ravioli mold, or similar device). I think I'm going to try Captain_Science's tip of pre-scooping the filling next time; that seems like it could help a lot with assembly (which is the most fiddly step of the process, for sure).
posted by 2or3things at 10:01 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I usually make the filling first thing in the morning (could do it the day before and refrigerate), and then make the dough and handle assembly later in the day. I usually end up assembling and freezing a few dozen, uncooked. (This year I foolishly used wax paper in my freezer package and it was a disaster. Do not recommend. Use freezer paper, or arrange them more sensibly than I did [jumbled stacks] if you want to go that route.)
I think I would NOT make the dough in advance. But that is a very fear-motivated response on my part.
If I were not my father's daughter, I would also streamline the process by using a pierogi press (or ravioli mold, or similar device). I think I'm going to try Captain_Science's tip of pre-scooping the filling next time; that seems like it could help a lot with assembly (which is the most fiddly step of the process, for sure).
posted by 2or3things at 10:01 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I am now usually a solo pierogi maker! Mostly the potato kind, so it is much easier to make the filling the day before. Especially helpful if you are having mashed potatoes the day before anyways. Then you just make a bigger batch.
I've never made the dough ahead of time, but supposedly you can. Keep it overnight of freeze.
When my family does it we pinch off bits of dough and roll out the individual wrapper, but when I'm solo I will frequently use my pasta roller to make sheets of dough and then cut out rounds with a cookie cutter.
This whole process is much easier with a mixing stand. I also now have two bowls for my stand, so I can make my filling (if it's not already made) and the
my dough without washing the bowl in between. I also now have the pasta rolling attachment for that as well.
I honestly like the more manual rolling of the individual wrappers (I cannot honestly tell you why, so it's probably nostalgia), so if I'm making a small batch I'll do it that way. But I'm usually making a big batch for immediate consumption, freezing, and sharing.
With the powered pasta roller, I tend to get all the dough rolled out into sheets, then cut out all of the wrappers. Then fill, pinch closed, and line up on pan, repeat until done. If I was still using my crank roller, sometimes I would make up all of the wrappers, but sometimes I'd roll out a sheet of dough at a time.
If you have a high countertop with a bar stool, that's my ideal location for making pierogi. Then I can stand or sit as I feel like it.
posted by ghost phoneme at 10:13 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
I've never made the dough ahead of time, but supposedly you can. Keep it overnight of freeze.
When my family does it we pinch off bits of dough and roll out the individual wrapper, but when I'm solo I will frequently use my pasta roller to make sheets of dough and then cut out rounds with a cookie cutter.
This whole process is much easier with a mixing stand. I also now have two bowls for my stand, so I can make my filling (if it's not already made) and the
my dough without washing the bowl in between. I also now have the pasta rolling attachment for that as well.
I honestly like the more manual rolling of the individual wrappers (I cannot honestly tell you why, so it's probably nostalgia), so if I'm making a small batch I'll do it that way. But I'm usually making a big batch for immediate consumption, freezing, and sharing.
With the powered pasta roller, I tend to get all the dough rolled out into sheets, then cut out all of the wrappers. Then fill, pinch closed, and line up on pan, repeat until done. If I was still using my crank roller, sometimes I would make up all of the wrappers, but sometimes I'd roll out a sheet of dough at a time.
If you have a high countertop with a bar stool, that's my ideal location for making pierogi. Then I can stand or sit as I feel like it.
posted by ghost phoneme at 10:13 AM on January 27, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Definitely make ahead the filling if suitable (like, not raw meat based), that dough doesn't benefit from resting too long because you need it moist enough to stick to itself. Even if you're doing it all at once, have the filling ready before you deal with the dough. Roll out one sheet, cut out circles, gather offcuts and fold them into a ball, stick under damp tea towel while you fill and set out pierogis. Repeat until dough and/or filling are gone, though it's better to have leftover filling than dough. Altogether don't be afraid to branch out - one pierogi restaurant I frequent in Warsaw has on average 20 different kinds on offer, including sweet ones with apples, berries, cottage cheese etc.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:33 AM on January 27, 2023
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:33 AM on January 27, 2023
I'm going to go against the grain here and say, I wouldn't do it. You don't want the potato and cheese mixture hot, but you also don't want it cold and hard, which it would be if you stick it in the fridge overnight. Warm to lukewarm and still very pliable is my preferred handling temperature. I definitely wouldn't make the dough ahead of time.
I try to make the dough while the potatoes are boiling. I also grate the cheese while waiting for the potatoes to cook (you want to be able to throw the cheese into hot, drained, partially mashed potatoes so it melts together as you complete the mashing).
And yes, while it's better if you have a team of people, I've made varenyky on my own more than once, and that usually means me winding up with quantities well over 100.
Cooking takes almost as much time as making them. The one cheat I will allow myself is to freeze some before cooking. I lay them out in layers in a container separated by wax paper dusted with a bit of flour, but I ideally, I do like to cook them the same day they're made. They're just a tiny bit better fresh.
Chop your onions and fry them up as you're waiting for the water to boil (or get them done before you boil the water).
posted by sardonyx at 2:49 PM on January 27, 2023
I try to make the dough while the potatoes are boiling. I also grate the cheese while waiting for the potatoes to cook (you want to be able to throw the cheese into hot, drained, partially mashed potatoes so it melts together as you complete the mashing).
And yes, while it's better if you have a team of people, I've made varenyky on my own more than once, and that usually means me winding up with quantities well over 100.
Cooking takes almost as much time as making them. The one cheat I will allow myself is to freeze some before cooking. I lay them out in layers in a container separated by wax paper dusted with a bit of flour, but I ideally, I do like to cook them the same day they're made. They're just a tiny bit better fresh.
Chop your onions and fry them up as you're waiting for the water to boil (or get them done before you boil the water).
posted by sardonyx at 2:49 PM on January 27, 2023
I’ve never seen pierogies made in big groups except for church things. Watching my grandma make pierogies on her own is about the only pleasant memory I have from childhood.
Filling first, then dough.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 3:55 PM on January 27, 2023
Filling first, then dough.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 3:55 PM on January 27, 2023
I make perogies all the time, it is labour intensive but it's not... it's really not that bad. And I make too much filling and put the rest in the fridge and make more the next day all the time, it's fine. Never noticed an issue in flavour or texture.
This isn't like macarons or croissants, it's a pretty sturdy food item.
Definitely listen to Kevinbelt about eating all the filling though, done that a few times and oof.
(If you want variation, samosa style filling is delicious.)
posted by Dynex at 5:10 PM on January 27, 2023
This isn't like macarons or croissants, it's a pretty sturdy food item.
Definitely listen to Kevinbelt about eating all the filling though, done that a few times and oof.
(If you want variation, samosa style filling is delicious.)
posted by Dynex at 5:10 PM on January 27, 2023
There is always Hunky Bill's Perogie Maker (and its imitators) to consider.
posted by wreckingball at 12:55 PM on January 28, 2023
posted by wreckingball at 12:55 PM on January 28, 2023
Make the filling first. You can make it the day before and refrigerate it (there are multiple traditional fillings; I can't think of any kind that you can't work with when it's cold, as long as it's not too hard to scoop and mash). For the avoidance of all doubt, in Poland any filling for pierogi is fully precooked (meat filling is made from the cooked meat solids used to make broth, not from raw mince like e.g. Chinese dumplings). It also shouldn't be too wet, or you're going to have a bad time.
A pasta machine will greatly simplify the manufacture of the wrappers. Laminating the sheets of dough by folding and pressing them a few times will improve texture and strength. The wrapper thickness you should use is up for debate -- in my family they're as thin as possible, but I have eaten plenty of other people's pierogi with much thicker wrappers. The thinner you make them, the more important the lamination is to avoid tearing.
It doesn't take long to make the dough, so don't make too much to start with (this also means that there's not much benefit to making it in advance). When you inevitably make too much (your initial estimate of how much you need for the filling you have may be comically incorrect), you can use the leftover dough to make some fresh pasta. Subdivide the dough and work with a portion at a time, keeping the rest in a covered tupperware. If you make too many wrappers at once when flying solo they will start to dry out.
A press like this will greatly simplify assembly. You can use the back of the press to cut out rounds of the correct size.
The tops of your wrappers will be drier than the undersides -- put them in the press damp side down so that they grip the press and don't slide around. Carefully push the dough down into the depression in the middle. Use the volume of the depression as a guide for the amount of filling to put in -- if it's spread out it should more or less fill it. This is usually about a heaped teaspoon.
Use a clean soft brush dipped in water to moisten the rim of the dough if it feels dry so that it sticks to itself properly. You only have to wet one half of the circumference.
Lay out your completed pierogi on a clean dry dishcloth, not touching each other. Do not put them down on a smooth surface like a plate or a counter, or they may stick, and then tear when you pick them up.
If you are saving some or all of the pierogi for later, I highly recommend freezing them uncooked. To do this, lay them out in the freezer on a dishcloth. You can stack multiple layers on top of each other as long as you put dishcloths in between. Once at least the outsides are fully frozen, you can pick them up and put them in plastic bags and put them back in the freezer -- they won't stick together after that.
Cook by adding to boiling water straight from frozen (don't crowd the pot).
I used to make heroic amounts of pierogi as part of a trio every Christmas, which took forever and was exhausting and kind of unpleasant (partially because we used a much more complicated and less efficient method to freeze them afterwards). For various reasons I don't do that anymore, and instead make a much more reasonable amount by myself (using filling which my mom delivers the day before). Thanks to the streamlined process and reduced scope it actually doesn't take very long, and I'm almost motivated enough to make small batches for myself at other times of the year.
posted by confluency at 3:38 PM on January 28, 2023
A pasta machine will greatly simplify the manufacture of the wrappers. Laminating the sheets of dough by folding and pressing them a few times will improve texture and strength. The wrapper thickness you should use is up for debate -- in my family they're as thin as possible, but I have eaten plenty of other people's pierogi with much thicker wrappers. The thinner you make them, the more important the lamination is to avoid tearing.
It doesn't take long to make the dough, so don't make too much to start with (this also means that there's not much benefit to making it in advance). When you inevitably make too much (your initial estimate of how much you need for the filling you have may be comically incorrect), you can use the leftover dough to make some fresh pasta. Subdivide the dough and work with a portion at a time, keeping the rest in a covered tupperware. If you make too many wrappers at once when flying solo they will start to dry out.
A press like this will greatly simplify assembly. You can use the back of the press to cut out rounds of the correct size.
The tops of your wrappers will be drier than the undersides -- put them in the press damp side down so that they grip the press and don't slide around. Carefully push the dough down into the depression in the middle. Use the volume of the depression as a guide for the amount of filling to put in -- if it's spread out it should more or less fill it. This is usually about a heaped teaspoon.
Use a clean soft brush dipped in water to moisten the rim of the dough if it feels dry so that it sticks to itself properly. You only have to wet one half of the circumference.
Lay out your completed pierogi on a clean dry dishcloth, not touching each other. Do not put them down on a smooth surface like a plate or a counter, or they may stick, and then tear when you pick them up.
If you are saving some or all of the pierogi for later, I highly recommend freezing them uncooked. To do this, lay them out in the freezer on a dishcloth. You can stack multiple layers on top of each other as long as you put dishcloths in between. Once at least the outsides are fully frozen, you can pick them up and put them in plastic bags and put them back in the freezer -- they won't stick together after that.
Cook by adding to boiling water straight from frozen (don't crowd the pot).
I used to make heroic amounts of pierogi as part of a trio every Christmas, which took forever and was exhausting and kind of unpleasant (partially because we used a much more complicated and less efficient method to freeze them afterwards). For various reasons I don't do that anymore, and instead make a much more reasonable amount by myself (using filling which my mom delivers the day before). Thanks to the streamlined process and reduced scope it actually doesn't take very long, and I'm almost motivated enough to make small batches for myself at other times of the year.
posted by confluency at 3:38 PM on January 28, 2023
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Then I set up a couple of sheet pans with tea towels that are lightly dusted with flour and make my dough. When I am ready to go I will divide it in half or so and roll it out, cut a circle with a cutter or water glass of the desired size, then fill, fold, and place on the pan. Since I am usually doing it just for the wife and I, I make 2 dozen or so. Half go right into the freezer on the sheet pan to freeze (and then go into a zip lock bag) and the other half that are for dinner that night can sit out or go in the fridge. When its time to eat I boil them for 3-4 min and then pan fry them in some butter.
If you were looking to make them on a larger scale but still do it alone I have seen where people scoop out their filling with a small disher and place it on a sheet pan to make it easier to prep and make a big batch.
posted by Captain_Science at 9:18 AM on January 27, 2023 [1 favorite]