Skillet-Fried Hand Pies (No Kefir)

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients for the pies. Start with the yeast dough.

2. Step 2:

   

   In a cup of warm water, dissolve the sugar, then add a tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon of dry yeast. If you like, you can use fresh yeast instead of dry. Stir the mixture and set the cup in a warm spot for 15 minutes to activate the yeast. A cap of foam should form on the surface.

3. Step 3:

   

   Put the sifted flour in a bowl, add the salt, and stir. Pour the yeast mixture and the vegetable oil into the bowl with the flour.

4. Step 4:

   

   Stir with a spoon; once the dough starts coming together, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it into a smooth, elastic dough.

5. Step 5:

   

   If needed, add a little more flour if the dough is sticky and clings to your hands. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a towel, and set it in a warm place for an hour.

6. Step 6:

   

   Meanwhile, make the filling for the pies. When summer rolls around and fresh greens come up in the garden, hand pies with green onion and egg become especially popular. It really is a very tasty, juicy filling and a great base for baking. Hard-boil the eggs in salted water. Cover them with cold water, let them cool, peel them, and finely chop them with a knife.

7. Step 7:

   

   Rinse the green onion under running water, pat it dry with paper towels, and finely chop it as well. Put the eggs and onion in a bowl, add salt and a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, and mix. The filling is ready.

8. Step 8:

   

   Punch down the dough and move straight on to shaping the pies. Divide the dough into 8 pieces.

9. Step 9:

   

   On a floured work surface, roll each piece into a round that's not too thin.

10. Step 10:

    

    Spoon a little filling into the center. Pinch the edges shut and tuck them under.

11. Step 11:

    

    Pour vegetable oil into the skillet — don't skimp; it should come at least a third of the way up the pies. Heat the oil. Add the pies and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes on one side until golden. Flip and fry the other side until golden. Cover the skillet with a lid and keep the pies over the heat for another 5 minutes so the filling cooks through.

12. Step 12:

    

    Take the pies out of the skillet and set them on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Serve the pies with tea. Enjoy!