No. 349 — A Pie Crust Filled with Many Small Meat Pies
English editorial translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 349 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, with historical measures, method and source.
Prepare a yeast-raised dough. Separately make two flat rounds of rich pastry using one Russian pound of flour, ½ glass of cold water, ½ teaspoon of salt, two eggs and ¼ pound of butter.
First mix the flour with water, salt and eggs. Add the fresh Finnish-style butter in one piece and knead thoroughly; the author considers longer kneading better.
From the yeast dough make small dumpling-shaped pies filled with beef forcemeat No. 326. Allow them to rise.
Once risen, lay one of the rich pastry rounds on a frying pan. Arrange the little yeast pies sideways on top, close together, brushing each with butter so they do not stick to one another.
Once all are arranged, brush them with butter, cover with the second rich-pastry round, pinch the edges closed and brush with egg. Bake in a hot oven.
If the top and bottom crust are not intended to be eaten, the author says they may be made from simple flour-and-water dough and merely brushed with egg. Serve with soup.
To provide
Rich dough: 1 Russian pound of flour, 2 eggs and ¼ pound of butter Yeast dough: 1 glass of milk and 1½ Russian pounds of flour 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ spoonful of sugar | ⅓ Russian pound of butter and 2 egg yolks Filling: 1 Russian pound of beef and 1 onion ⅛ Russian pound of butter, plus ⅛ pound for brushing the pies |