Baked Piroshki

Here is a sweet summer treat from my childhood – baked piroshki filled with strawberries and rhubarb. Piroshki are super soft sweet rolls filled with any kind of fruit or berries. They can become your favorite summer desert!

This dough can be made with stiff sourdough starter or just dry instant yeast. Below you can find the sourdough version of the recipe. For yeast version – use 3g of dry yeast, and use 350g of flour in total. The dough has to double in size, then you can divide it and shape. 

Ingredients

Stiff Sourdough starter 

• 10g sourdough starter
• 30g water
• 60g bread flour

Dough

• 300g bread flour (100%)
• 60g stiff starter (20%)
• 150g milk (50%)
• 50g eggs (17%)
• 60g soft butter (20%)
• 75g sugar (25%)
• 6g salt (2%)
• 0.5g yeast (optional) to reduce sourness

Filling 

• 2 cups of any fruits or berries 
• 6-8 tbs sugar
• 1tbs rice starch

Sweet syrup 

• 6 tbs warm water
• 3 tbs sugar 

Directions 

Day 1

Starter 

• 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, form a ball, then roll it into a tight roll, place in a jar, cover with water, make sure it is covered with water, let sit at room temp 74-78F until it increases in size and starts to float on the top of the water.
• In about 8-10 hours the top of the starter will dry and the bottom will start to melt in the water. We will need only the center part of it.
• Keeping stiff starter in the water helps to reduce its acidity and sourness of the final product (learn how to make starter from scratch here).

Day 2

Dough

• 8 am mix starter, milk, eggs, flour, sugar (let it autolyse for 30minutes).
• During the autolyse period the flour becomes fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 8.30 am mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
• Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together. If its not coming up together, feel free to add a little more flour (20-40g).

• 9 am  cover and let it proof for 3- 4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
• The dough should become slightly puffy.
• 12 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation until next morning 
• 7 am divide cold dough into 60g pieces. Round each piece, cover, let rest 15 min.

• Meanwhile prepare the filling, by cutting fruits or berries (peaches, strawberries and rhubarb, apricots, mangoes or any of your favorite fruits).
• Mix 6 tbs of sugar with 1 tbs of rice starch.
• Roll each dough ball into a thin circle, place fruits in the middle topped with 1tsp of sugar.
• Seal the the sides to the middle by pinching them together.
• Place each piroshok seal side down on a tray covered with parchment paper. Leave the distance about 1 inch in between piroshki. 
• Cover and let them proof for 2-4 hours until bigger and puffier. Egg wash them before baking.

• Preheat oven 375F.
• Bake piroshki for 10 min at 375F, then lower temperature to 350F and bake for 10-15 min more until golden brown.
• While piroshki are baking prepare sweet syrup by mixing warm water with sugar until dissolved.
• Spread sweet syrup evenly on your piroshki while they are still hot.

Let them cool down and enjoy!

Baked Piroshki

299kcal

5 from 2 votes

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Prep 40 minutes mins

Cook 25 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 21 hours hrs

Total 22 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Here is a sweet summer treat—baked piroshki filled with fresh strawberries and rhubarb. Piroshki are super soft sweet rolls filled with any kind of fruit or berries. They can easily become your favorite summer dessert!

Servings 10 Piroshki

Cuisine Eastern European

Ingredients

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The Acidity-Reducing Stiff Starter (Night Before)

• ▢ 10 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 30 g Water
• ▢ 60 g Bread flour
• ▢ Extra room-temperature water Sufficient to fully submerge the starter ball in a jar

The Enriched Sweet Dough (Next Morning)

• ▢ 300 g Bread flour (100%)
• ▢ 60 g Prepared stiff starter (20% – Extracted from the core of the floating ball)
• ▢ 150 g Milk (50%)
• ▢ 50 g Eggs (17% – Approx. 1 large egg)
• ▢ 60 g Soft butter (20% – Softened completely to room temperature)
• ▢ 75 g Sugar (25%)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 0.5 g Dry instant yeast (Optional: include strictly to accelerate the rise and reduce natural sourness)

The Sweet Fruit Filling

• ▢ 2 cups Strawberries and rhubarb (Or any of your favorite fruits/berries, finely chopped)
• ▢ 6–8 tbsp Sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp Rice starch (Or cornstarch)

The Bakery Gloss Finish

• ▢ 1 Egg (For a quick egg wash before baking)
• ▢ 6 tbsp Warm water (For the sweet syrup finish)
• ▢ 3 tbsp Sugar (For the sweet syrup finish)

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Fitted with the dough hook attachment, or mixed manually)
• ▢
  Baking Tray
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Glass Jar (For the floating starter technique)
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Pastry Brush

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Day 1 – Submerged Stiff Starter Setup

1. 10:00 PM: In a small bowl, whisk your 10g of starter culture into 30g of water. Add 60g of bread flour and mix thoroughly. Knead briefly with your hands to form a tight, smooth ball, then roll it into a firm cylinder.
2. Place the cylinder into a tall glass jar and fill it completely with room-temperature water 74–78°F (23–26°C) so the dough is fully covered. Let it sit out overnight for 8 to 10 hours. As it ferments, it will expand, trap gas, and float proudly to the top of the water.

Day 2 – Dough Autolyse & High-Speed Mixing

1. 8:00 AM: Carefully lift the floating starter out of the water jar. Discard the wet, melted outer surface and scale out exactly 60g from the firm core center to use in your dough.
2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 60g of extracted stiff starter, 150g of milk, 50g of eggs, 300g of bread flour, and 75g of sugar (add the optional 0.5g of dry yeast here if using). Mix briefly until a shaggy mass builds, cover, and let autolyse for 30 minutes.
3. 8:30 AM: Attach your dough hook. Mix the dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated.
4. Add the 6g of salt and continue mixing for 2 minutes until a clean ball takes shape.
5. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and begin introducing the 60g of soft butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead intensely for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough builds enough gluten strength to clear the sides of the bowl. Note: If it struggles to bundle together, feel free to add a little more flour (20g to 40g).
6. 9:00 AM: Cover the bowl tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm temperature of 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 separate rounds of structural stretches and folds during this window; the dough will become light and slightly puffy.
7. 12:00 PM: Transfer the covered dough container directly into the refrigerator for a long cold fermentation rest until the next morning.

Day 3 – Dividing, Sealing, and Staged Baking

1. 7:00 AM: Turn the cold dough out onto a workspace and divide it cleanly into 10 uniform pieces weighing exactly 60g each. Round each piece into a tight ball, cover, and let them rest for 15 minutes to relax.
2. Prepare the Filling: Cut your strawberries and rhubarb into small pieces. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the 6 to 8 tablespoons of sugar with the 1 tablespoon of rice starch.
3. Roll each dough ball out into a thin circle. Place a generous spoonful of fruit right in the middle, then top it with 1 teaspoon of your sugar-starch mixture.
4. Gather the opposite sides of the dough circle up to the middle and pinch the edges together firmly to form a tight, secure seal.
5. Arrange each piroshok seal-side down on a tray lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch of distance between them. Cover loosely and let them proof on the counter for 2 to 4 hours until they look visibly bigger and puffier.
6. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Gently coat the tops of the puffed rolls with a quick egg wash.
7. Slide the tray into the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 10 minutes to set the oven spring. Lower the temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until beautifully golden brown.
8. The Sweet Glaze: While they bake, mix your 6 tablespoons of warm water with 3 tablespoons of sugar until completely dissolved. As soon as the piroshki come out of the oven, brush this sweet syrup evenly over the hot tops. Let them cool completely before serving.

Nutrition

Calories299kcalCarbohydrates51gProtein6gFat8gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol33mgSodium98mgPotassium120mgFiber1gSugar23gVitamin A216IUVitamin C17mgCalcium44mgIron1mg

Notes

• The Secret Behind Stiff Starter Under Water: Keeping your stiff sourdough starter completely submerged in water overnight is an incredible way to reduce its natural acidity. The water bath naturally leaches out sharp, sour acetic acids, leaving you with a mild, sweet culture perfect for fruit pastries. Remember to only use the firm center core of the floating ball!
• Preventing Soggy Pastry Bursts: Fresh summer berries and rhubarb release an enormous amount of water as they cook inside the dough. Mixing your sugar directly with 1 tablespoon of rice starch (or cornstarch) serves a critical technical purpose: it absorbs those escaping fruit juices instantly, turning them into a thick, delicious jam that won’t leak out or burst your dough seals.
• Streamlined Straight Yeast Shortcut: If you want to skip the multi-day sourdough timeline, you can easily make these in a single afternoon using standard yeast. Omit the stiff starter build entirely, use 3g of dry instant yeast, and increase your total flour amount to 350g. Let the mixed dough double in size on your counter, then skip straight to dividing and shaping!
• Adapting for Savory Fillings: This dough is incredibly versatile and can easily adapt to savory family favorites. If you want to make a traditional savory version filled with mashed potatoes, cabbage, dill, or seasoned meat, simply drop your dough sugar down to 20g (just enough to keep the yeast happily active) and omit the final sweet syrup finish.

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