In our family, when I was a child, we loved to bake pies and pastries belyashi in large iron basins, which were also used for washing dishes. My mother always made the dough herself and passed on her recipe to me, along with a few secrets that made the dough soft, fluffy, and delicious.
Here is the recipe for a yeast dough for 12-14 belyash:
Warm milk - 250 ml
Dry yeast - 8g
Sugar (for yeast, one teaspoon)
Salt - 14 gr.
Butter - 50 gr
Eggs - 2 units
Flour - 500-550 gr (depending on the gluten of the flour, do not be too heavy with flour, so that the dough is tender and soft)To prepare the dough you need to mix milk, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the butter and eggs and mix. Then gradually add the flour and knead the dough until it is tender and soft. Don’t over flour the dough, this will help keep it soft and fluffy.
Add some sugar and salt to the warm milk, then stir in the yeast and leave for 5 minutes. Melt the butter and add to the milk mixture along with the eggs and flour. Knead the dough thoroughly until homogeneous, without getting too heavy on the flour.
Place the dough in a warm place for 60-90 minutes and after 40 minutes, knead again to let it rise again.
Divide the cooked dough into the desired number of portions, depending on the desired size of the belyash or patties.
The above recipe has enough dough for 12-14 belyash or patties!
Prepare the filling for the belyash (I have a mixture of pork, beef, onions, spices and some water). As my mother advised, the addition of water makes the filling juicy, I stir it with a potato masher to make it homogeneous and juicy.
If the dough is well kneaded and not too stiff, you won’t need to roll it with a rolling pin, or you may need to add some flour. Roll out a circle of dough, place the filling and form the belyash, pinching the edges together in a circle and leaving a small hole in the center.
Heat a frying pan with enough oil over medium heat. Place the belash on the skillet with the hole facing down, then fry until golden on each side. I usually put the belyashi in the oven for 10-15 minutes to bake them extra until cooked, since I like a lot of minced meat inside.
Bon appetit and enjoy making the belyash! 🌺