This was served as part of the first course at the Ymir 2025 feast.
What, Where, When
- A vegan Rus hand pie with a root vegetable filling, built around a turnip mention in the Domostroi.
- Designed as a parallel fast-day-compliant alternative to the cheese-filled buns in the same course.
Discussion
The Domostroi, a mid-16th century Russian household management text, describes a well-managed household as one able to produce a wide variety of fast-day foods. In a passage detailing the staples the master of the house should keep on hand, it lists the kinds of dishes the mistress of the house should then be able to make from them: “pies, pancakes, cookies, horn-shaped rolls, kasha, noodles made from peas, strained peas, soup, dumplings, boiled kasha, stew, turnovers, and blintzes (filled with mushrooms, poppy seeds, kasha, turnips, cabbage, or whatever else she can find).” Turnips are named directly as a filling; the form — turnovers or blintzes — is also named directly. The dish is therefore less conjectural than many of the feast items built from the Domostroi: both the filling ingredient and the general pastry category are attested in the same passage.
This pirozhki was designed specifically as a fast-day-compliant parallel to the cheese-filled buns served alongside it in the same course. Fast-day listings in the Domostroi include both dairy-containing options (the Saturday and Sunday “pancakes stuffed with poppy seed-flavored cottage cheese”) and strictly vegan options (Lenten pies with grain, pea, or vegetable fillings). Offering both in the same course reflects the compositional logic of a period Rus bakery spread rather than the logic of a single modern cook choosing one pastry to make.
The carrot, the specific seasoning choices (caraway, mustard seed), and the half-moon hand-pie shape are my construction. The dough started from a modern vegan pirozhki recipe which I used as a reference for getting the texture right in an egg-free, dairy-free enriched dough; the structural approach — yeasted wheat dough, olive oil enrichment, fast rise — is reasonable for the context and matches what a period Rus cook working a fast day would have had available.
Sources
Domostroi, household provisioning and fast-day foods (p. 151)
She prepares pies, pancakes, cookies, horn-shaped rolls, kasha, noodles made from peas, strained peas, soup, dumplings, boiled kasha, stew, turnovers, and blintzes (filled with mushrooms, poppy seeds, kasha, turnips, cabbage, or whatever else she can find)…
Turnip and Carrot Pirozhki
A vegan Rus hand pie with a filling of diced turnip, carrot, and onion seasoned with caraway and mustard seed, enclosed in a simple olive-oil yeasted dough. Designed as a fast-day-compliant parallel to a cheese-filled bun.
Ingredients
- Dough:
5 cups (about 625g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
About 1½ cups warm water (add gradually to feel)
- Filling:
3 tbsp olive oil
7 oz (about 200g) onion, small dice
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp yellow or brown mustard seeds
1½ lb (about 680g) turnip, peeled and small-diced
1½ lb (about 680g) carrot, peeled and small-diced
2 tsp salt (or to taste — vegan fillings benefit from generous seasoning)
Splash of water, as needed
- Finish:
Olive oil, for brushing
Flaky sea salt
Directions
- Make the dough: combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the olive oil and warm water, starting with about 1¼ cups water and adding more gradually if needed. Mix and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes in a stand mixer. The dough should be soft and supple but not sticky.
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for at least 1 hour, until about doubled. The high yeast loading produces a faster rise than a standard bread dough.
- While the dough rises, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned at the edges, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the caraway and mustard seeds and cook for 30-60 seconds, until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the caraway is fragrant.
- Add the diced turnip and carrot and the salt. Stir to coat in the oil and spices, and cook for 4-5 minutes, letting the vegetables take on a little color at the edges.
- Add a splash of water (¼ to ½ cup), cover, and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes. Uncover, let any residual moisture cook off, and taste for salt — vegan fillings benefit from being seasoned slightly more aggressively than the cook’s instinct might suggest. Cool completely before filling the pies.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces (about 45g each) for appetizer-size pies; for larger hand-pies, divide into 16 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a round about 4 inches across. Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center, fold the dough over into a half-moon, and press the edges firmly to seal — you can crimp with a fork for extra security. Place on the prepared sheets, seam side up or to the side as you prefer.
- Brush each pie with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Serve warm, or rewarm gently in a low oven before serving.
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