This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.

The secret to great pierogi isn’t just in the filling, it’s in the dough. This easy pierogi dough recipe makes soft, tender dumplings that work for any filling, sweet or savory.

It’s also naturally vegan, so it’s perfect for traditional pierogi, fruit-filled versions, and plant-based recipes alike.

No need to juggle different dough recipes for different pierogi — this is my go-to “master” dough that I use for all of them.

If you’re new to making pierogi, you’ll find step-by-step photos, tips, and ingredient notes to help you get perfect results. If you’ve made pierogi before, you can jump straight to the recipe card and get cooking.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

Flour. Use all-purpose flour. If you use something like bread flour or whole wheat flour, you will need noticeably more liquid to achieve the right dough texture.
Oil. Use a neutral-flavored oil, such as your regular cooking oil. Avoid olive oil as it can be bitter, which may affect the dough’s flavor.
Salt. Use fine-grained salt for best results.
Water. Plain boiled water is all you need; no need to be fancy here.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Boil a pot of water.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Sifting probably isn’t necessary, but I recommend it anyways. Plus, it’s something you can do while waiting for the water to boil.

Add salt and mix. Just a quick stir to spread the salt.
Add oil and boiled water.

Mix. Mix the ingredients by stirring with a regular tablespoon or a large wooden spoon. Be careful not to burn yourself, as you will be working with water that was boiling just a few moments ago. Stir until you reach the point where there is no visible water in the bowl, then switch to using your hands.

Pierogi dough after initial stirring — The water is all mixed in, so the dough is ready for kneading

Knead. Start slowly and make sure the dough isn’t too hot to handle. Knead until you have incorporated all the flour into a homogeneous dough ball, which usually takes 4 to 8 minutes.

Kneading in progress. Note that there’s still flour left in the bowl.
Dough ready – all the flour is incorporated and the dough is pretty homogenous.

Wrap and rest. Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes before continuing. This will allow the dough to relax and become easier to work with.

Make pierogi. Once that half an hour of waiting is over, the dough is ready for rolling and making pierogi.

Storage

If you run out of filling and don’t want to discard the dough, you can refrigerate it (well-wrapped) for 2 to 3 days. If you don’t wrap it tight, it will dry out and be useless the next day.

Alternatively, you can freeze leftover pierogi dough, as explained in the “How to Freeze Pierogi” article.

Usage

Use this dough to make any pierogi that you like. Here’s a list of pierogi fillings that I’ve already covered on the site.

Fried pierogi on a plate — Delicious pan-fried pierogi

Pierogi Dough FAQ

What’s the best flour for pierogi dough?

Your regular all-purpose wheat flour is the ideal choice for pierogi dough because it’s the most user-friendly. This type of dough rolls out smoothly and can be stretched by hand without tearing.

If you’re looking for an alternative, white spelt flour (not the wholemeal variety) is a good substitute, as it shares similar properties with regular all-purpose flour.

Pierogi neatly arranged on a wooden surface

Can you make pierogi dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can store prepared pierogi dough in the fridge for up to two days before using it. To prevent it from drying out, ensure it’s wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Before you start working with it, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. This is crucial because dough straight out of the fridge is noticeably firmer and can be challenging to roll out.