Beef & Cheese Piroshki

Prepare the yeast dough first. Heat the milk until warm to touch, then pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast evenly over the milk. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, whisk in the melted butter, salt and egg. Gradually add the flour, whisking the mixture until it thickens into a thick batter. Continue adding flour until soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface; use additional flour as needed. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow the dough to proof until doubled in size; about 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Preheat a large frying over medium-high heat, add a splash of oil and fry the ground beef for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces. Let the meat cool until just warm. Place the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse into a puree. Alternatively, use a grater to puree the onion and finely mince the garlic. In a large bowl combine all of the filling ingredients: fried beef, pureed onion, garlic, cheeses, egg and seasonings. Use your hands to knead the ingredients together to form a uniform mixture.

Once dough has proof, punch it down and knead again for a few minutes. Divide the dough into even portions - 8 pieces for large piroshki, 16 pieces for smaller piroshki. Roll each piece of dough into a circle, add filling into the center, then press the dough together to seal the filling inside (watch my video to see how it's done!).

Deep Fried: preheat approximately 6 cups of vegetable or canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, until the oil temperature reads 325F/162C. Shape 3 to 4 piroshki at a time; DO NOT allow them to proof! Add the shaped piroshki straight into the hot oil, seam side down first. Turn the piroshki often, frying for 5 to 6 minutes, until they're a rich, golden brown color.

Baked: Place piroshki seam side up onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with an egg wash using a pastry brush. Allow the piroshki to proof for 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Once the piroshki have proofed, bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your piroshki. Remove from baking sheet onto a cooling rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before enjoying. The filling will be extremely hot when the piroshki come out of the oven! Allow them to cool before enjoy.