Every Ukrainian knows that borsch is not a real borsch without pampushky. Pampushky are savory Ukrainian buns made of yeast dough and brushed with garlic sauce. Baked to golden beauty, they are used as a substitute for bread.
In Ukraine, pampushky stand in one row with varenyky, halushky, borsch and salo, and are considered one of the culinary symbols of the Ukrainian culture.
Fluffy and airy inside and crust outside, they perfectly complement the Ukrainian beet soup. These mouth-watering buns are best with a touch of dill and garlic. So, garlic sauce is a must addition to pampushky.
Ingredients:
- 45 g (1,5 oz) fresh yeast
- 125 ml water
- 125 ml milk
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (≈ 2 oz) dairy butter
- 1,5 tsp salt
- 450 g – 600 g (15 – 21 oz) flour
- 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Garlic sauce
- 2 garlic bulbs
- 1/2 bunch of dill
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-3 tbsp of vegetable oil
Cooking
Crumble the yeast in a bowl. Add some warm (not hot) milk and water to yeast. Then add sugar and mix everything until smooth. Pour in the remaining milk and water.
Beat eggs and add them to the mass (if you have one big egg, it will be enough). Stir to combine. Then add salt and stir the mass.
Now we will gradually stir in flour. When the dough is difficult to mix with a spoon, then transfer it to a table and knead the dough with hands on a well-floured surface.
Don’t worry if your dough sticks to your hands. Grease a big bowl with 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Transfer the dough there and cover it with cling film.
When the dough rises, we’ll see if it’s necessary to add flour. Leave the dough in a warm place for 1-1,5 hours.
Grease hands with vegetable oil and knead the dough one more time (now it will come away from your hands easily – if not then add some flour).
Divide the dough into little balls of equal size and shape them into round buns. You’ll get around 18 buns (the number of buns depends on the size).
Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil. Arrange buns side by side (you can place them close to each other and they will join together when got risen or you can leave space between buns to let each bun have crust).
Cover the tray with cling film and place it above an open oven door (preheat the oven to 100°C/212°F beforehand). Wait until the buns rise. Remove the food wrap and put the tray in an oven.
Put the tray with water under the tray with pampushky (for a steam effect). Bake the buns at 160-170°C/320-338°F for around 25 minutes.
Garlic sauce
Wash and chop dill finely. Peel and squeeze garlic. Combine the dill, parsley, salt, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine and let the sauce infuse.
As soon as you take buns out of the oven, brush them with the garlic sauce. Cover the buns with cling film until they cool completely (that will help keep them soft).
Enjoy your meal!
Have you liked the recipe for Ukrainian garlic donuts?
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