Pampushky

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 250 mlwarm milk or water
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 1egg
• 3 tbspsunflower oil

Garlic dressing

• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 4 tbspsunflower oil
• 2 tbspwater
• 1 tbspchopped dill
• ½ tspsalt

To glaze

• 1egg, beaten

To serve

• borscht

Directions

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then work in the warm milk, egg and oil. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Keep the dough soft and slightly tacky. A stiff dough gives dense buns, and pampushky should be light enough to tear apart. Prove for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes until doubled.
3. Roll each into a tight smooth ball with no seams on top. They rise into each other and the sides stay soft and pale, which is what pampushky are, and baked apart they come out as crusty rolls instead.
4. Prove a further 30 to 40 minutes until they have swollen into each other. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 18 to 20 minutes until golden on top. Do not overbake them.
5. Crush the garlic rather than chopping it, and use a mortar if you have one, because crushed garlic gives up far more juice.
6. Brush them while they are still hot from the oven. Hot bread drinks the garlic oil straight in, and on cooled buns it simply sits on the surface.
7. Spoon any remaining garlic and dill over as well. Cover them with a clean cloth for 10 minutes. The cloth traps the steam and keeps the tops soft, which is exactly what you want here. Serve them warm, torn apart by hand rather than cut, alongside a bowl of borscht.

Technique

• They are best within a few hours and go stale by the next day.
• The dough can be proved overnight in the fridge for a morning bake.
• Some households add a spoonful of sunflower oil to the dressing after brushing, for extra shine.

Substitutions

• Water in place of milk, which makes them lean and Lenten.
• Parsley in place of dill, though dill is traditional.

Variations

• Sweet pampushky, filled with poppy seed or jam.
• With a little grated cheese in the garlic topping.
• Made larger, as a pull-apart loaf.

History

Small, soft, garlic-glazed bread rolls, traditionally served alongside borscht, documented across Ukraine for many generations as an essential accompaniment to the country’s most famous soup, with the rolls brushed generously with a mixture of crushed garlic and oil immediately after baking. Their soft, pillowy texture and pungent garlic glaze reflect a specifically Ukrainian culinary pairing tradition, considered by many Ukrainian cooks an essential rather than optional accompaniment to a properly served bowl of borscht. Pampushky remain closely tied to Ukrainian borscht tradition specifically, commonly baked fresh to accompany the soup at both everyday meals and significant family gatherings.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pampushky?

Pampushky is a bread & pastry from Ukraine: fluffy rolls brushed with garlic oil, borscht’s companion. Small, soft, garlic-glazed bread rolls, traditionally served alongside borscht, documented across Ukraine for many generations as an essential accompaniment to the country’s most famous soup, with the rolls brushed generously with a mixture of crushed garlic and oil immediately after baking. Their soft, pillowy texture and pungent garlic glaze reflect a specifically Ukrainian culinary pairing tradition, considered by many Ukrainian cooks an essential rather than optional accompaniment to a properly served bowl of borscht. Pampushky remain closely tied to Ukrainian borscht tradition specifically, commonly baked fresh to accompany the soup at both everyday meals and significant family gatherings.

How long does Pampushky take to make?

Pampushky takes 25 min plus 2 hr rising of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 buns. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Pampushky?

Yes, within limits. Water in place of milk, which makes them lean and Lenten. Parsley in place of dill, though dill is traditional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pampushky?

Prove a further 30 to 40 minutes until they have swollen into each other. Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 18 to 20 minutes until golden on top. Do not overbake them.