Pīrāgi

About This Recipe

Pīrāgi are the pride of Latvian baking: small oval buns with a soft, enriched yeasted dough encasing a savoury filling of fried smoked bacon and onion. They are the centrepiece of every Latvian celebration — Christmas, Midsummer, birthdays, and family gatherings — and their aroma when baking is immediately recognisable to any Latvian. The dough is often enriched with egg and soured cream, giving it an exceptionally tender crumb. Pīrāgi are eaten warm or at room temperature, never hot, and are best enjoyed the same day they are baked.

Ingredients

Serves 30

• 500 gplain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7 gfast-action dried yeast (1 sachet)
• 1 tspcaster sugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 largeeggs (1 for dough, 1 for egg wash)
• 150 mlwarm whole milk
• 80 gbutter, softened
• 2 tbspsoured cream
• 300 gsmoked bacon, finely diced
• 1 largeonion, very finely diced
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Fry the bacon in a dry pan over medium-high heat until the fat renders, then add the onion and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Season with black pepper. Spread on a plate to cool completely before using.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well and add the warm milk, 1 egg, softened butter, and soured cream. Mix to a soft dough, then knead on a floured surface for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.

3. 3

   Shape the pīrāgi

   Knock back the dough and divide into 30 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, then flatten to a 7 cm disc. Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Pinch the edges together firmly to seal, then shape into an oval. Place seam-side down on lined baking sheets, spaced 3 cm apart.

4. 4

   Prove and bake

   Cover with a damp cloth and prove for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 200 °C. Brush each bun with beaten egg. Bake for 18–22 minutes until deep golden brown.

Variations

• •

  Pīrāgi with mushroom and sauerkraut filling (for a meat-free version)

• •

  Sweet pīrāgi with jam filling

• •

  Mini pīrāgi as cocktail canapés

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven for 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions