Yeast dough pies with green onions and eggs
A short 45-minute drive from Tartu, on the shores of Lake Peipsi, there are three wonderful villages: Varnja, Kasepää, and Kolkja. Originally, the villages were almost exclusively inhabited by Russian Old Believers. Today, they are home to the descendants of the founders, as well as people from other parts of Estonia who appreciate the unique culture, peace, and customs of this place.
I have liked these places since my youth, with their exotic onion garlands, beds raised high due to frequent flooding, dried fish, boathouses, and, of course, the obvious proximity to the great Lake Peipsi, all of which make these villages unique.
There is no point in writing about what these villages are like here. Many books have been written about them, and the best thing would be to go there yourself, stay there for a while, and experience the uniqueness of that area.
Books have also been published about the food culture of the Peipsi region, and it has been covered in various media publications. I would like to introduce you to some delicious and special pies that I have never had anywhere else. What makes these pies special is that I did not make them myself in my Tartu kitchen, but they were made at my good friend’s home in Kasepää, making this recipe especially authentic for me. I hope you make these pies at home and get the right flavor nuances, or you will have the pleasure of tasting these pies made by locals while visiting these places by Lake Peipus.

Preparation time: About 1 hour
Level: Not too difficult
Quantity: 16-20 pies
Ingredients:
Dough:
250 ml milk
12 g dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tsp sea salt
75 g butter
500 g flour
The dough is universal and can be used to make both savory and sweet pies, such as pies with minced meat and egg filling.
Filling:
300 g green onions
5 eggs
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
15g butter
Preparation:
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm milk. The milk should be warm rather than hot. Otherwise, the yeast will die.
- Let stand for 15 minutes. The yeast-sugar-milk mixture should bubble.
- Add 1 egg and salt.
- Grate the butter with a coarse grater. Mix everything well. Knead the dough, gradually adding flour. When the dough absorbs enough flour, it will become elastic and will not stick to your hands.
- Take a large bowl and fill it with ice water. Dip the dough in the water and leave it for at least 10-15 minutes. The ice water will pause the rising of the dough. If you prepare the pie filling in advance, you do not need to dip the dough in ice water.
- At the same time, prepare the filling. For the filling, boil the eggs and cut them into cubes. Finely chop the onion. Throw a piece of butter into a frying pan. Put the onion in the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove the pan from the stove.
- Add the eggs, salt, and pepper to the onions. Mix.
- Sprinkle the work surface with flour, place the dough on it, and knead until it no longer sticks to your hands. Divide the dough into 16-20 parts.
- Roll the piece of dough into a small circle and add the filling. Join the edges. Place on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, “seam” side down.
- Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 200°C until golden brown
Ready!!





























