Baked Pyrizhky in Creamy Dill Sauce

The first time I had Pyrizhky was at my husbands Firefighters Christmas party at the Oldtimers Cabin in Edmonton and I fell in love the moment I ate one of these buns.They are like little pillows of soft creamy goodness! I never forgot those delectable morsels and wished I had a recipe to re-create them. As luck would have it my daughter's girlfriends mom was making them one day when I came to pick her up. She not only gave me some buns to take home, but shared this recipe with me. To my delight they were exactly the same as the ones I had at the Old Timers Cabin so many years prior!! Thank-you Dez I am forever grateful.

 Simply put, Pyrizhky  are little stuffed baked buns, about the size of a pyroghy. The buns are made from a yeast dough and this dough is then stuffed with a potato and cheese filling. The Pyrizhky buns are then smothered in whole cream, seasoned with dill and then baked until the cream has thickened. This is a large recipe, so you can make them ahead and freeze or make with a few friends and divide them up. I usually make them in October/November and then I have them available in my freezer all winter.

Please read the notes about making the bun dough before starting recipe. 

 Baked Pyrizhky in Creamy Dill Sauce ( this recipe makes about 12 dozen)


Potato Filling:

5 pounds potatoes

1 peeled garlic clove

2-3 Tablespoons milk

2 Cups DRY cottage cheese.

1-2 teaspoons fresh or dry dill to your taste

salt and pepper


Boil approximately 5 pounds of peeled potatoes. Add a peeled clove of garlic to the potato water while the potatoes are boiling. When potatoes are cooked and soft drain the water. Mash potatoes, add milk. You want mashed potatoes not mushy potatoes. Add DRY cottage cheese to the potato mixture. Season to taste. Set aside.


 Please note the recipe states 8 cups of flour plus more until you get a nice soft dough that is not sticky. You may have to add 2 -3 more cups until you reach desired consistency. It is always better to start with less flour and add more as you can always add but never take away. The climate where you live can dramatically change flour quantities as well, so I prefer to let you be the judge by feeling the dough and learning to know when to add more or less flour. Here in Alberta we have very dry winters and the flour really dries out but then come summer with increased humidity in the air  more moisture is drawn into the flour. I make sourdough bread all year and have to change and adapt with the seasons. So start with the 8 cups and then keep adding. The stickiness of the dough will tell you if you need to add more. 

Bun Dough Instructions:

½ Cup warm water

1 Teaspoon sugar

2 packages yeast


In a small bowl combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.


In a large bowl combine:


3 ½ Cups water

½ Cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ Cup melted lard (Tenderflake)

2 Tablespoons vinegar

All purpose flour ( see quantity in directions and read note above about adding flour)

Add the yeast mixture


Add first  4 cups of flour to the bowl of liquid, mix.  Then  add another 4 cups, mix. The dough will still be sticky.  Add more flour until the dough does not stick to your fingers while kneading.  You may have to add up to 2 plus more cups of flour to get the right consistency. You want a really soft dough but not sticky.  Grease a large bowl and place soft dough into the bowl. Grease a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap and loosely cover the bowl with it. Place the bowl in a warm spot on your counter top until the dough has doubled in size.


Once the dough has doubled. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently knead it on a lightly floured counter top.  Remove ¼ of the dough. Cover the remaining dough so it does not dry out.

Roll the dough out as you would to about the thickness of pie dough or the thickness of a pyroghy. I like to use a regular sized wine glass to cut out the rounds, about 2 ½ inches in diameter. Cut out about 6 rounds at a time.

Take the cut out round stretching it with your fingers or roll out a little with the rolling pin to make it a little bigger.

Place about 1 heaping  teaspoon of the potato filling onto the round and pinch the ends together, just like making pyrogies. Dip your fingers in flour if your fingers get sticky when pinching the dough together.

Place the pyrizhky buns onto light coloured greased baking sheet ( do not use dark coloured pans or the buns will burn on the bottom before they are cooked) or a glass/ceramic baking dish. When placing the buns on the pan, just lay them close enough so that they are just touching each other.

Once you completely fill up a pan, bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until the buns are a nice golden brown.

Brush buns with butter when they come out of the oven.

Allow to cool before separating into individual buns.

Continue making the pyrizhky until all the dough is gone.

This makes a lot of pyrizhky!!

These buns freeze well.

I divide the cooled pyrizhky into plastic freezer bags. I usually put about 2 dozen buns per bag.Try to remove as much air out of the bags as possible. I place the buns into the freezer bag and then almost completely close the bag, then I slide in a straw into the bag and using your mouth suck as much air out as possible.


To Cook the Pyrizhky


Grease a casserole dish that is big enough to hold the pyrizky. Pour whole cream over the buns until they are all smothered. Sprinkle a little fresh dill over the buns. I usually line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then put the casserole on it so if the cream boils over a little it doesn’t make a mess of your oven.

Bake into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, ensuring the cream does not cook away too much. You want the cream to thicken up. If you are using frozen pyrizhky thaw before cooking.

Print Recipe:Baked Pyrizkhy in Creamy Dill Sauce

Boil potatoes. Mash. Add cottage cheese and seasonings.

The mixture should be dry not mushy.

Make the dough as per directions. 

Place in a big greased bowl. Cover dough with greased wax paper or plastic wrap until dough has doubled in size.

The dough has doubled.

Bring dough together on a lightly floured counter top and cut off 1/4 piece .

Cover the remaining dough so it doesn't dry out.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin.

Cut out with a 2 1/2 inch wine glass, tin can or cookie cutter.

Add a little potato filling and pinch the ends. 

Place the little buns on a greased baking vessel.

Bake  in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Brush warm buns with butter. 

Cool buns and then place about 24 buns in freezer bags. They freeze well for many months.

I