A belyashi (or piroshki) is a traditional Russian hand meat pie. Simple to make and a hearty meal or have one as a snack. Prefect for taking into the field for the hunt.
Once the meat is cooking, stir well and sprinkle with the garlic powder, pepper and half of the salt. Stir again.
Now, remove the belyashi meat filling from the stove and stir in the mayo, dill and stock. Once blended, taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Set aside for use later and allow the filling to come to room temperature.
Dissolve your fresh yeast in half the warm water or if using active yeast, it should be proofed per manufactures recommendations. If using instant yeast, add to you flour and salt.
Mix your drys, flour, salt and instant yeast if using in the mixing bowl.
Combine your wets, yeast (not instant), water and oil.
Next, using a stand or hand mixer with bread hook, combine your drys (flour and salt) and your wets (yeast, water and oil). Mix at a low speed until the dough bowl comes clean from the mixing bowl. (see note 1)
After pausing, knead the bread at low speed for an additional 3-5 minutes. If the belyashi dough appears too wet or dry, adjust with flour (for wet) or water (for dry) remix until blended well.
Put your belyashi dough in a large bowl (about 3 time larger than the dough), cover with oiled plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place free of drafts and rowdy kids. I place mine on top of the oven or close by. Let dough rise until it has 2 to 2-1/2 times it’s original size. This should take about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
On a floured surface, roll the belyashi dough into the shape of a log about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Using a bread scrapper, cut the dough into pieces about 3/4″. If using a scale (see note 2), weigh the piece of dough and adjust a needed. If not weighing, just mark off twenty equal pieces and cut. Weighing does produce more uniform hand pie.
Using your fingers, on a floured surface, stretch out the belyashi dough to form a circle about 3 to 4 inches roughly the same thickness. (see note 3)
Next, place a heaping tablespoon of the cooled Belyashi filling in the center of the stretched dough. Stretch and fold the dough over and seal the edges by pinching the dough.
Gently place the belyashi, seam side down in the heated oil. Be careful here, we don’t want any burns! (see note 4)
Please note that the quantities can be changed by entering the amount you wish in the quantity indicator. However, the metric will not change.