Baked Cabbage Hand Pies

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Start by making the dough. Use good-quality all-purpose flour and large eggs. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 1 to 1.5 hours before you begin — for the dough to come out right, they need to be at room temperature.

2. Step 2:

   

   Some yeast has to be proofed by dissolving it in warm liquid; other kinds can go straight into the flour. For this dough, use the kind you proof first. Heat the water to about 100–105°F (37–40°C). Dissolve the sugar in it and stir in the yeast. If you don't have a thermometer, test it this way: drop a bit of water on the inside of your wrist. If it feels neither hot nor cold, the temperature is right.

3. Step 3:

   

   Melt the butter. You can do this in the microwave on the right setting, over low heat in a saucepan, or in a double boiler. For a double boiler, take two pots of different sizes. Fill the larger one with water and set the smaller one on top so its bottom sits about halfway in the water. Drop the butter into it. Once the water boils, the butter will begin to melt. When it's fully melted, take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

4. Step 4:

   

   Grab a deep bowl for mixing the dough. Wash the eggs with soap. Separate one egg into yolk and white: tap the shell in the center with a knife over the bowl and split it into two halves, then pour the egg back and forth between the shell halves until all the white runs into the bowl. The yolk stays in the shell. Set that yolk aside in the milk you'll use to glaze the pies. Crack the remaining eggs into the bowl with the white.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the salt and beat. You don't need to whip the eggs to a foam. The salt improves the flavor and makes them easier to beat.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pour the cooled butter into the eggs and mix until smooth.

7. Step 7:

   

   In cool liquid the yeast works more slowly and takes longer; if the liquid is too hot, the yeast dies and the dough won't rise. Once a fluffy cap forms on the surface, the yeast is active and ready to use.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the yeast mixture and stir. Sift half the flour into the bowl and stir with a spoon until smooth. Sifting the flour removes any small bits and works air into the dough so it comes out light.

9. Step 9:

   

   Flour of the same grade can behave differently from one brand to the next, so add it in small amounts to reach the right consistency. When it gets hard to stir with a spoon, switch to your hands. Knead the dough thoroughly for at least 10 minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    The dough should be soft, tender, and just slightly tacky. Grease the bottom and sides of the bowl with vegetable oil so the dough doesn't stick, then rub the dough itself with a little oil. Cover the bowl with a cloth or towel so it doesn't dry out and can rise well. Leave it in a warm spot for about 1 to 1.5 hours.

11. Step 11:

    

    Make the filling. Use green cabbage, a medium carrot, and a large onion. Go with refined sunflower oil.

12. Step 12:

    

    Peel and rinse the onion and carrot. Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a box grater and cut the onion into small dice. Cut this way, the vegetables cook faster and give the filling a nice color.

13. Step 13:

    

    Pull off any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage, rinse it well, and dry it on a towel or paper towels. Shred it finely with a knife or a food processor.

14. Step 14:

    

    Heat a skillet and carefully pour in the vegetable oil. Cook the onion and carrot together over medium heat, stirring now and then, for about 5 minutes.

15. Step 15:

    

    Add the shredded cabbage, stir, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat. You want the vegetables just short of done — the cabbage should soften but still keep a little crunch. The timing depends on the cabbage. Season the filling with salt and pepper, stir, and let it cool completely.

16. Step 16:

    

    Once the dough has grown to 1.5 to 2 times its size, it's ready to work with.

17. Step 17:

    

    Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, then cut each into 16 more. Roll them into balls and set them on a floured work surface.

18. Step 18:

    

    Shape the pies. Grease your hands with oil or dust them with flour as you work. Roll a ball of dough into a round about 2.5–3 inches (6–7 cm) across. Put filling in the center. Picture the round divided into three sections: lift two of them and pinch the dough together at the seam, working along the edge, then lift the third and pinch it closed.

19. Step 19:

    

    Whisk the milk with the yolk for glazing the pies.

20. Step 20:

    

    Set the pies seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, spaced apart. You can line the sheet with parchment; if it isn't nonstick parchment, grease it so the pies don't stick. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Once the pies have risen, brush them with the egg-and-milk glaze and put them in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes with both top and bottom heat. The finished pies will have puffed up and turned golden.