Best Pierogi Dough [No Eggs, Vegan]
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Pierogi, a popular Polish dish, is beloved for its delicious filling encased in a tender, doughy exterior. While the filling may steal the show, the dough is just as crucial to creating the perfect pierogi.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to make the best pierogi dough that will work well for both sweet and savory pierogi. As a bonus, this dough is vegan, so you can use it when making all sorts of vegan pierogi, too.
There are dozens of pierogi dough recipes available. Plus, many pierogi recipes come with their own unique recipe for the dough, but fortunately, that’s not necessary. All you need is a single master recipe that works well with any filling.
That’s where this recipe comes in.
I use this dough for all sorts of pierogi, and I link to this recipe from all of my pierogi recipes.
(Of course, lazy pierogi are the exception, but those dumplings aren’t “real” pierogi.)
If you’re making this pierogi dough for the first time, read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re a veteran, feel free to jump to the recipe card.
Want to make pierogi? Check out our guide to homemade pierogi to learn everything you need to know about the process.
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ~250g
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- ½ cup boiling water ~120ml
Instructions
- Boil Water: Boil a pot of water.
- Sift Flour: Sift flour into a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Add Salt: Add salt and mix.¼ tsp salt
- Wet Ingredients: Add oil and boiled water.1 ½ tbsp oil, ½ cup boiling water
- Mix Ingredients: Mix the ingredients by stirring with a spoon. Be careful not to burn yourself. Once there is no visible water in the bowl, use your hands to knead the dough until it is a homogeneous ball.
- Wrap and Rest: Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes before continuing.
- Make Pierogi: Once the wait is over, the dough is ready for rolling and making pierogi.
Notes
- Double the dough. Since making pierogi takes quite a long time, I recommend doubling both the dough and filling to make a big batch that will be enough for at least two meals. You can freeze any leftover pierogi and have them ready when you are.
- If you’ve been kneading the dough for a couple of minutes already and it’s super dry and doesn’t seem to take in any more flour, add a tablespoon or two of warm water.
- This recipe is adapted from a popular polish recipe website: AniaGotuje.pl. Here’s the direct link to the recipe.
So happy I came across your site. I grew up eating savory pierogi but never heard of them with sweet filling. I have a major sweet tooth so I’m making the sweet cheese and blueberry filling. Going to make a sauce with the drained berry juice and have the best breakfast! Thank you so much for explaining everything so well, and the helpful photos.