Potato and Shiitake Mushroom Pierogi
How Buffalo Sauce Led Us to Homemade Pierogi
My family loves spicy food, and anything labeled “buffalo style” tends to catch our eye on a menu. That’s exactly what happened one night at a restaurant, when we spotted buffalo pierogi listed as an appetizer. We’d never actually had pierogi before, but we ordered it anyway alongside our dinner — and loved it. The crisped edges, the tender filling, that familiar buffalo tang — it was an easy favorite.
That one appetizer got us curious about making pierogi at home. Before jumping into a buffalo version, though, we wanted to start with the basics and get comfortable with the process — the dough, the filling, the folding, the crimped edge that holds it all together. So our first batch was something classic: a potato and shiitake mushroom pierogi, with a little smoky bacon folded into the filling.
It ended up being a great way to learn. Rolling out the dough, cutting the wrappers, spooning in the filling one by one — it’s a slower kind of cooking, but a satisfying one, and it gave us a real feel for what makes a good pierogi before we try chasing down that buffalo flavor ourselves.
This recipe is where our pierogi journey started, and we’re already thinking about what comes next.
Step by Step Cooking Guide
Making the Dough
Mix the egg with sour cream, then add the flour, pink salt, and hot water. Combine until it forms one smooth ball. Wrap it up and refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight, so it’s easier to roll out later instead of springing back on you.
Making the Potato and Shiitake Filling
Boil the potatoes until tender, then transfer them straight to the blender and blend until smooth.
In a separate pan, cook the shallot and garlic in olive oil until softened, then add the shiitake mushrooms along with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the pan has dried out. Stir that mixture into the potatoes, fold in some bacon for extra flavor, and finish with a pinch of pink salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to assemble.
Rolling, Filling, and Sealing
Dust the dough and pasta machine lightly with flour to keep things from sticking, then roll the dough through, setting by setting, until it’s thin enough to work with. Cut the sheet into individual wrappers using a round cutter, then spoon in the filling and brush the edge with egg wash. Run each one through a pierogi maker to fold and seal it shut. If you don’t have one, fold by hand instead and crimp the edge with a fork.
What We Learned
Watching a tray fill up with neat little half-moons, one after another, was oddly satisfying — proof that the process was starting to click. This batch taught us the fundamentals we needed before turning up the heat, quite literally, on the flavor we came for in the first place.
We’ll be back soon with that buffalo version.
Potato and Shiitake Mushroom Pierogi
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 2 tbsp sour cream, ½ tsp pink salt, and ½ cup hot water. Mix until the ingredients come together into a smooth dough ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to relax the gluten.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 large egg yolks, 2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp pink salt, ½ cup hot water
- Peel 1½ lb Russet potatoes and place them in a large pot. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the hot potatoes to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, then transfer the purée to a mixing bowl.1.5 lbs russet potatoes
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and 2 tsp minced garlic, sautéing until the shallot becomes translucent. Add the diced shiitake mushroom caps (8 oz), ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp dried thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften and their released liquid completely evaporates.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large shallot, 2 tsp minced garlic, 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps diced, 1½ tsp pink salt, plus more to taste, ¼ tsp Black pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme
- Stir the sautéed mushroom mixture directly into the bowl with the blended potatoes. Fold in 2 tbsp bacon pieces. Season the mixture with 1 tsp pink salt, adjusting the amount to your personal preference. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the potato-mushroom mixture until you're ready to assemble.2 tbsp bacon pieces
- Remove the rested dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into 4 equal pieces and flatten each piece slightly with the palm of your hand. Dust the dough with flour to prevent sticking. Working with one piece at a time, pass the dough through a hand-cranked pasta machine, gradually increasing the settings until you reach Level 6 (approximately 1.5mm thickness). Lay the dough sheet flat on a lightly floured surface. Use a round 3¼-inch cookie cutter to stamp out individual wrapper rounds.
- Place roughly 1 tbsp of the chilled potato-mushroom filling onto the center of each dough round. Whisk 1 egg in a small dish and lightly brush the outer edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Use a pierogi maker to fold and seal each wrapper over the filling into a secure half-moon shape.1 large egg
Notes
- Makes about 24-30 pierogi depending on wrapper size.
- If you don’t have the pierogi maker, you can fold and seal each pierogi by hand, then press the edges with a fork to crimp.
