Fasting Mushroom Pastries

Before describing the recipe, let's talk a little about yeast, specifically dry yeast. There are several types available, most commonly instant yeast and regular granulated yeast. Instant yeast can be mixed directly with flour and starts working immediately. However, it is recommended to activate regular, granulated yeast first, such as the one from Dr.Oetker brand. Therefore, any recipe using dry yeast should take into account their characteristics when kneading the dough. I personally prefer the products of Dr.Oetker brand and use their specific dry yeast in my recipes. Well, let's start by activating the yeast, which means bringing them to a working state. To do this, add sugar and yeast to warm water (about 37 degrees Celsius). Mix thoroughly with a whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cover with a towel (yeast likes darkness) and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

After the specified time, a plentiful foamy cap forms on the surface - the yeast has come to life and is ready to make the dough. Now you can confidently add salt and vegetable oil, mix everything together for uniformity. Then add sifted flour. Start by adding half of the required amount and mix it - the dough should resemble a sticky, liquid mass. Then gradually add the rest. When you think it's time to knead it by hand, transfer the dough to a work surface and continue kneading, adding a little flour as needed. By the way, you may not use all the flour (that's what happened to me), just observe the consistency of your dough - it should be quite pliable but not sticky to the hands and surface.

Then transfer it to a large bowl for rising, covering it with a tight towel (or lid).

The dough will rise for approximately 1-1.5 hours, and it should increase in volume by at least twice.

While the dough is rising to the desired condition, let's continue - prepare the mushroom filling. This is probably the simplest filling for pastries - onions and mushrooms. You can use any kind of mushrooms - for example, button mushrooms are available all year round. However, this time I'm using forest mushrooms that were carefully sorted, partially boiled, and frozen. All I had to do was thaw them beforehand. Now it's really simple: peel and finely chop the onions, and slice the mushrooms relatively small.

Next, heat a well-heated skillet, sauté the onions until softened and slightly golden. Then add the mushrooms and sauté until all the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The filling should be as dry as possible to prevent the dough from becoming soggy. Transfer the sautéed mushrooms with onions to a bowl and let them cool completely. Once cooled, you can add a handful of chopped dill (this way it won't darken but will retain its color) and mix everything together.

Now that the filling has cooled and the dough has risen, it's time to shape the pies. You can do it the usual way, by dividing the dough into equal portions, flattening them slightly, placing the filling in the center, and then pinching the edges. Or you can do it differently, which I will show you now. Roll out the dough into a flat sheet, not too thin, about 0.5 centimeters thick. Cut it into 12 equal sectors with a sharp knife. Make several cuts in the middle (sharp) part of each sector. By the way, to prevent the dough from smashing, it's very convenient to use a pizza cutter.

Place 1 tablespoon of mushroom filling on the wide part of each cut piece of dough and roll it up, wrapping the filling in the dough, with the sharp edge at the bottom (to prevent them from unfolding).

Place the pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Now, as usual, we would usually brush the pies (to give them a golden color) with a mixture of egg and milk, but... we are preparing Lenten pies - so we brush them with plain brewed, strong tea. If desired, you can sprinkle them with a little caraway seeds (or maybe sesame seeds). Leave them for 15-20 minutes to settle a bit, while the oven heats up to 180 degrees Celsius. They will only need 20 minutes to bake.

Enjoy your meal!