Recipe: Pagachi (using frozen bread dough) (2)

PAGACHI

1 yeast cake
1 cup warm water, divided use
1 cup scalded milk, divided use
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. sugar
6 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
Potato Filling or Cabbage Filling (recipes follow)
FOR TOPPING:
sweet cream
melted butter
sugar

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Pour 1/2 cup scalded milk over butter and sugar. Cool to lukewarm. Add dissolved yeast. Sift flour and salt into deep bowl and add eggs and yeast mixture with remaining 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water.

Knead well. Cover and set aside in a warm place free from draft to rise until double in bulk, 2 hours.

Turn out on floured board. Divide into 3 portions. Cover each portion with bowl and let rise 10 minutes.

Take one piece at a time, turn over and flatten in center with back of hand. Place filling in center and draw up and pinch edges together. Again place bowl over dough for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.

Turn dough over with filling and press carefully with back of hand all around, then roll out slowly so the filling will not break through to 12 inches in diameter. Place both hands under pagachi and put on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake on bottom rack of oven for 10 minutes. Turn over and put on center rack of oven. Bake another 10 minutes.

When done wrap in a damp cloth - let stand 10 minutes.

Brush lightly with sweet cream then with melted butter on both sides. Cut to desired size. Sprinkle with sugar. Follow same method for the other two pieces.

Each portion of filling is for one pagachi.

POTATO FILLING:
4 boiled potatoes
1 cup grated sharp cheese
dill weed

Mash potatoes, add grated cheese, dill weed and blend. Cool.

CABBAGE FILLING:
1 (3 lb.) head cabbage
2 tbsp. salt
2 qt. boiling water
1/4 lb. butter

Chop cabbage. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with boiling water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Melt butter in saucepan. Add cabbage and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool.

Adapted from source: Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie; by Bill Neal

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PAGACH

1 frozen bread dough, thawed
3 potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 lb oleo (margarine)
5 oz cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon milk
salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut bread dough in half. Roll out one half and place on cookie sheet.

Cook the potatoes in 2 quarts salted water, until done. Drain.

Fry onion in oleo until golden.

Add to the potatoes, cheese, milk, and salt and pepper to the onion and mash with the potatoes. Spread evenly over rolled out dough. Cover with the other half of the dough. Pinch edges together.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.

Adapted from Source: Anita Kaschak, Favorite Recipes Collected by St. Mary's Ladies Guild, St. Mary's Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church, Endicott, NY, 1984, p. 258.