Lesya 
Hand pies (pyrizhky) are very well-known snacks in Ukraine. You could find them in cafeterias, in small kiosks near subway stations, where people grabbed them on the go – a kind of Ukrainian fast food. I liked hand pies with apple jam in our school cafeteria. Pyrizhky with meat, cabbage, or peas, which were served in the café on the central squire Maidan in Kyiv, made a decent meal for me. These hand pies were especially good with hot bouillon (broth) or tomato juice.
And, of course, how can I forget the homemade matusya’s hand pies with cherries and cottage cheese? The Ukrainian song “Iz syrom pyrogy” (“Hand pies with cottage cheese”) tells a funny story about a young fellow who falls in love with a pretty girl… and her “iz syrom pyrogy”. When he had to choose between the girl and her hand pies, the fella chose the hand pies. Ukrainian hand pies are a beloved part of Ukrainian Culinary Traditions, which are rich and diverse, reflecting the country’s long and complex history.
On this page, you will find a universal recipe for yeast dough that can be used for hand pies with different fillings: cherries and blueberries, cottage cheese, and cabbage. Lean pies and hand pies with cabbage were part of the 12 dishes on the Christmas Eve table. Try and choose which of them you like more! The taste of all of them makes me very nostalgic. During this holiday season, let’s pray for peace and think about the brave people in Ukraine who fight for their freedom and traditions!
How to Make Yeast Dough for Ukrainian Hand Pies?
For Ukrainian pyrizhky we use a simple yeast dough. While their more sophisticated counterparts and cakes are made from the pâte brisée (pastry dough), which came from the French tradition. In Ukrainian cuisine, you will find plenty of baked goods made from just flour, yeast, and water. The quantities in our recipe will be enough to make several kinds of hand pies.
Here are a few tips for you. When the dough is ready, cut it into 3 or 4 pieces for different fillings. If you don’t use all of it at once, save the dough in the refrigerator – it will be as good as new even in 3-4 days. Don’t forget to cover the bowl with the dough with a cling food wrap. Also, if you want to cut on sugar, use less sugar. However, the taste of sweet dough contrasts really well with meat or cabbage. You may find that our method of rolling and cutting is different. It is because it is easier to cut a long loaf into small pieces and then roll them. This way there are no residues left.
How to make yeast dough for Ukrainian hand pies
Equipment
- 1 rolling pin
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chef's knife
Ingredients
- 500 g lukewarm water
- 50 g dry yeast
- 1 kg flour
- ½ tspn salt
- 150 g sugar can be reduced to 100 g
- 100 g vegetable oil olive or sunflower
- flour for dusting
Instructions
- First of all, let’s prepare a starter. In a large bowl, pour lukewarm water and add yeast. Mix well. The yeast will dissolve in 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 500 of flour. Cover the bowl with a towel and put the starter in a warm place for an hour. During this time the starter will develop flavors and will rise.
- Add salt and sugar to the starter and mix all ingredients. Gradually add 500 g of flour and mix well again.
- Cover the bowl with towel, put it in a warm place, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. (If you keep it longer it will develop even more flavors). The dough should rise during this time.
- Gradually add vegetable oil to the dough and knead it for 10-15 minutes. (Put oil on your hands when you work with the dough). Do it by hand and feel how the dough responds to your motions. The dough should not flop between your fingers at the end and should make a nice ball – this is how you decide it is ready.
- Now as the dough is ready, cut it in 3-4 pieces (depending on how many different fillings you have).
- Dust flour on a cutting board. Take one piece of the dough, place it on the board, and shape it into a loaf. Cut the loaf into pieces, and press each with your fingers to make small pancakes.
- Roll every pancake a little, don’t make them too thin.
- Now you have the dough pancakes ready for stuffing.
Ukrainian Hand Pies with Cherries and Blueberries
It is winter now and we used canned cherries and frozen blueberries for these hand pies. If you have fresh fruit, these hand pies will taste even better! We can’t wait to bake them with fresh cherries – they will be so delicious! Also, pyrizhky with cherries or blueberries make a great dessert when served with tea or coffee. Use our recipe on how to prepare the yeast dough. From the quantities provided in the recipe for the filling, you should be able to make 15-20 hand pies.
Ukrainian hand pies with cherries and blueberries
Equipment
- 1 oven pan
Ingredients
- 350 g pitted cherries
- 300 g frozen or fresh blueberries
- 50 g sugar
- freshly brewed black tea or egg yolk for brushing
Instructions
- Open a can and strain the cherries from the syrup. Cut them into smaller pieces, it will be easier to close the pies.
- Unfreeze blueberries in cold water and drain them well.
- Place cherries or blueberries in the center of dough pancakes, and close them making a small “crest”. (Top blueberries with some sugar).
- Brush the oven pan with oil or cover it with culinary non-stick paper. Place your hand pies on it. Leave some space between the pies as the dough will continue to rise and the pies will grow bigger. Ideally, let them rest for 15-20 minutes before you put them in the oven. Also, brush them with freshly brewed black tea (or with egg yolk) to add a darker shade of orange.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and bake the hand pies for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Ukrainian Hand Pies with Cottage Cheese
Hand pies with cottage cheese can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or supper with tea, coffee, kefir, or any kind of beverage that you like. We used homemade cottage cheese. However, you can find good quality cottage cheese in European or Ukrainian deli stores. Sugar is optional as sweetness can be achieved only by adding raisins. The rest is pretty much the same as in the previous recipe. Just place the filling on the dough pancakes, close them with your fingers, and put your small pies in the oven to bake. Simple, affordable, delicious!
Ukrainian hand pies with cottage cheese
Equipment
- 1 oven pan
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cottage cheese filling:
- 700 g cottage cheese
- 100 g raisins
- tablespoon sugar optional
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla sugar
- 2 tbsp tablespoons egg whites or 1 egg
- freshly brewed black tea or egg yolk for brushing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, raisins, and sugar. Add egg whites or egg and mix well all ingredients.
- Place the filling in the center of the dough pancakes, and close them making a small “crest”.
- Brush the oven pan with oil or cover it with culinary non-stick paper. Place your hand pies on it. Leave some space between the pies as the dough will continue to rise and the pies will grow bigger. Ideally, let them rest for 15-20 minutes before you put them in the oven. Also, brush them with freshly brewed black tea (or with egg yolk) to add a darker shade of orange.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and bake the pies for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Ukrainian Hand Pies with Cabbage
Cabbage makes a great filling for hand pies too! This vegetable is so versatile, that it is not a surprise it is used in so many Ukrainian recipes. If you have sauerkraut your hand pies will taste more interesting. However, even fresh white cabbage should do the job. We like the combination of the slightly salty cabbage and the sweet dough. Also, we tried this recipe with fresh cabbage and with fried cabbage and we like both of them. If you want to cut off fried food, go with fresh cabbage. We don’t describe how to make this filling, because it is so simple. All you need to do is to chop the cabbage finely and salt it. The cabbage will soften inside the hand pies when you bake them.
Serve these hand pies with tea, coffee, tomato, carrot juice, or with meat broth for your breakfast or lunch, or just as a snack. Pyrizhky with cabbage are so tasty and simple to make that we hope you will like them as much as we do!
Ukrainian hand pies with cabbage
Equipment
- 1 oven pan
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cabbage filling:
- 600 g cabbage, chopped finely
- ½ medium carrot, grated
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tspn salt
- spices dry basil, parsley
- black pepper
- vegetable oil
- freshly brewed black tea or egg yolk for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and add oil. Add onion and garlic, and fry until golden. Add cabbage and carrot, sprinkle with spices and salt, mix well and saute for 10- minutes.
- Place the filling in the center of the dough pancakes, and close them with your fingers. This time we make a more traditional shape without the “crest”. Just pat all sides of the pies with your hands making the top and bottom flat and even.
- Brush the oven pan with oil or cover it with culinary non-stick paper. Place your hand pies on it. Leave some space between the pies as the dough will continue to rise and the pies will grow bigger. Ideally, let them rest for 15-20 minutes before you put them in the oven. Also, brush them with freshly brewed black tea (or with egg yolk) to add a darker shade of orange.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and bake the hand pies for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm.
What is a “hand pie”?
A hand pie is a small pie that does not require a knife or a spoon to eat. It can be of any shape but it should fit your hand. Hand pies were well known in Slavic states, in particular in Ukraine, more than a thousand years ago. Ukrainian hand pies with cottage cheese or fruit make a simple homemade dessert. Try our other recipes for homemade desserts, such as Ukrainian Nalysnyky – crepes stuffed with cottage cheese.
How to serve hand pies?
Hand pies are great comforting treats and stand-alone snacks that you can just grab on the go without any side dishes or beverages. However, you can also serve them with coffee, tea, kefir, juice, broth, or soup. The hand pies filled with cabbage or meat will go very well with tomato juice or with vegetable or meat broth (bouillon). The same kind of hand pies can be served with soups, vegetable stews, or green salads.
Ukrainian Hand Pies: Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed this recipe for Ukrainian Hand Pies! The homemade hand pies filled with cabbage, fruit, or cottage cheese are perfect for vegetarians and the Christmas Eve menu. They are free from margarine, butter, trans fats, or preservatives. Ukrainian hand pies are perfect for a quick lunch or snack, and can be enjoyed hot or cold. Try these new recipes and share your thoughts with us and other readers! As always, we appreciate your feedback and invite you to visit our other pages.
