Step 1

Drain the sauerkraut (drained sauerkraut should weight 450g / 16 oz), combine in a medium pot with dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and allspice berries. Add water, enough to cover the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Cook, partially covered, over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the sauerkraut is soft.

Step 2

Dice the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a big frying pan. Cook the chopped onion with caraway for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft and translucent. Add marjoram, cook for another minute, transfer to a plate.

Step 3

If you’re using cremini mushrooms: Wash them and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into ½ cm / ¼ inch slices. Increase the heat under the pan to high, add another tablespoon of oil and chopped mushrooms. Don’t stir for the first 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned at the bottom, then stir and cook until the mushrooms release water. Cook until it evaporates, stirring from time to time, then cook until nicely browned, transfer on a plate. It will take about 12 minutes.

Step 4

Drain the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms, reserve the liquid! It can be used to enhance the flavor of many soups, including Polish Christmas Eve Beet Soup. Discard bay leaves and allspice.

Step 5

Add the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms, pan fried cremini mushrooms and sauteed onions to the food processor bowl. Pulse several times to chop finely (but not to a paste consistency). You can also chop it finely with a knife.

Step 6

Season the filling with with salt and pepper, to taste.

Step 7

You can also add finely chopped prunes to the filling. It’s important to chop them with a knife by hand and not process in the food processor with the rest of the filling (or it will come out too sweet).

Step 8

Add the flour and salt into a large bowl, mix together.

Step 9

In a small saucepan, warm the water with butter until they are very hot, but not boiling (temperature should be around 80-90 °C / 176-194 °F, that is when the water starts to move and steam).

Step 10

Pour hot water with butter into the bowl with flour, mix with a wooden spoon until roughly combined.

Step 11

Knead the dough using your hands or with a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, for about 5 minutes. A food processor can also be used (fitted with the dough blade). The dough should be smooth, soft and elastic, it shouldn’t stick to your hands. When you follow the recipe (especially if you weight the ingredients, instead of using measuring cups), the dough should be perfect, but if for some reason it’s not, add some water if it’s too dry, or a little bit flour if it’s too wet. If the dough already forms a ball, is relatively smooth, but still tough, it means that it’s not ready, it must be further kneaded until soft and elastic (after resting time it will be even softer).

Step 12

Wrap the kneaded dough in plastic foil (so it doesn’t dry out), leave to rest for about 30 minutes (it will be easy to roll out).

Step 13

Pierogi dough should be at room temperature. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough thinly, about 2 mm / 1/16 inch. Cut out dough rounds, portion filling on all the dough circles. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, press the edges together to seal. Transfer on a kitchen towel lightly sprinkled with flour. Cover with a second kitchen towel, so that the dumplings don’t dry out. Gather scraps, roll out and repeat the steps.

Step 14

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pierogi, about 10-12 dumplings at a time. When they rise to the water surface, cook them for 1 minute, then remove from the water with a slotten spoon and transfer to a plate.

Step 15

Serve drizzled with melted butter or caramelised onions.

Step 16

Enjoy!