Chefs Binge · Polish · Serves 10 pasties
Kapuśniaczki - Polish Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pasties
Kapusniaczki, Polish pasties filled with sauerkraut, mushrooms and onion braised with bay and allspice, in a soft enriched dough.
Prep
1 hr 30 min
Cook
20 min
Total
1 hr 50 min
Serves
10 pasties
Per serving
350 kcal
Ingredients
For the filling
700 g Sauerkraut - drained
500 ml Hot water
300 g Brown or white mushrooms - halved and sliced, or use a mix with wild mushrooms
3 Red Onions, medium size - about 300 g, finely sliced
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Butter
2 Bay leaves
3 Allspice berries
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For the dough
500 g Plain flour
1 pinch salt
50 g Granulated sugar
60 g Butter - softened
130 ml Milk
40 ml Water - cold, to bring the milk down to blood heat
30 g Fresh yeast - or 15 g active dry yeast
3 Eggs - 2 for the dough and 1 for the brushing
2 tsp Caraway - seeds for topping
Method
1
Cook the Sauerkraut. Begin by simmering the sauerkraut in a large pot with the bay leaves, allspice berries, and water. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about an hour. After cooking, drain the sauerkraut, remove and discard the spices, then allow it to cool. Finely chop the sauerkraut.
2
Prepare the Mushrooms and Onions. While the sauerkraut is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized frying pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms, increase the heat, and cook until they are browned and fully cooked. Finish by stirring in 1 teaspoon of butter, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
3
Combine Filling Ingredients. Combine the chopped sauerkraut with the cooked mushrooms and onions. Adjust the seasoning to achieve a balance of salty, sour, and a hint of sweetness from the onions.
4
Prepare the Yeast Mixture. In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Transfer this mixture to another container and add 3 tablespoons of cold water to cool it down. Dissolve the fresh yeast in this mixture and set it aside.
5
Make the Dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, a pinch of salt, and sugar. Add the yeast mixture and 2 eggs. Mix until well combined. The dough will be sticky; avoid adding extra flour. Let the dough prove in the bowl until it triples in size, which should take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
6
Assembling and Baking. Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 165°C (330°F). Divide the dough into 10 equal portions, each weighing about 85 g. Roll each portion into a 16 cm (6 inch) square. Make five 3 cm cuts on both the left and right sides of the square. Place about 80 g of filling in the centre of each square. Braid the dough by alternating strips from each side over the filling. Brush each pasty with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
7
Bake. Bake the pasties on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for about 20 minutes. They may need to be baked in batches or on separate trays to ensure enough space for expansion.
8
Cool and Serve. Once baked, transfer the pasties to a cooling rack. They are best warm. To reheat them, a low oven or a covered dry pan over the lowest heat keeps the pastry better than the microwave does. Serve with a cup of beetroot soup. Enjoy your homemade Kapuśniaczki!
Chef’s notes
The dough is meant to be sticky. Adding flour to fix it is what makes the finished pastry tough. If it is too slack to roll, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes and use only a light dusting on the worktop.
Drain and squeeze the sauerkraut properly, and cook the mushrooms until the pan is dry again. Wet filling is what makes the bases soggy.
Go easy on salt in the filling. The sauerkraut brings plenty, and many Polish cooks add none at all here.
Leave room on the tray. These swell in the oven, and pasties set close together will meet and tear when you separate them. Two trays or two batches.
Freezing: dough or baked, not in between. The dough freezes well before its first rise, and fully baked pasties freeze and reheat from frozen in a hot oven. Shaped but unbaked is the one stage to avoid.
Recipe © Chef Łukasz Babral · chefsbinge.com · for personal use only
chefsbinge.com/kapusniaczki-polish-sauerkraut-mushroom-pasties
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