Knishes Recipes

SARAH'S KNISH

Steps:

• Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Combine potatoes and onions in a large bowl; season with 2 teaspoons of salt, pepper, sugar, and garlic. Mash until smooth; set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Gradually stir in flour. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Divide the dough into thirds and roll each piece out to about 9x13-inches. Slice the rolled dough in half lengthwise, then spread the potato mixture down the center of each strip. Roll each strip around the filling and gently press to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to end with six logs.
• Cut each log into 1-inch slices and place cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the edges of the dough toward the center of the potato mixture to form a bun. Beat egg yolks and milk together in a small bowl. Brush each knish with the the egg yolk mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

KNISH

Steps:

• For pastry, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in sour cream, adding 3-4 tablespoons water to form a dough. Shape into a disk, mixture will be crumbly. Wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight., Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8-10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until tender, 8-10 minutes. , Drain potatoes; return to pan and stir over low heat 1 minute to dry. Mash potatoes; stir in onion mixture, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Stir in eggs., Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10x12 -in. rectangle. Cut into 16 squares. Spoon 1 tablespoon potato filling in the middle of each square. Brush the edges with water. Fold each corner toward the center, meeting in the middle. Arrange, seam side down, on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes.

KNISHES

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside if onions are not yet ready.
• While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1/2 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Mix the onions and their oil into the potatoes, and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside while you make the dough.
• In a large bowl, mix together eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, warm water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Gradually mix in flour until the dough is stiff enough to remove from the bowl and knead. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes to relax the dough.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• Cut off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Roll the dough out into a long narrow strip about 3 inches wide. Spread the potato mixture over the dough leaving a 1 inch strip along one of the long sides. Roll the dough around the filling towards the exposed strip, and gently press to seal. If you've done this step correctly, the dough will be shaped like a snake filled with potato filling. Repeat the process with remaining dough and filling.
• Place the potato filled rolls onto the prepared cookie sheet, and cut into 1 inch pieces using a pizza cutter.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until nicely browned.

JEWISH POTATO KNISH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the softened butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth and well-combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the flour and salt and pulse to blend.
• Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Using floured hands, form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together the cooked and shredded potatoes, sautéd onions, eggs, instant mashed potatoes, salt, ascorbic acid, if using, garlic powder, Tabasco sauce, and cheddar cheese, if using. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.
• Mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Gather the ingredients. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower part of the oven and heat the oven to 350 F.
• Flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll the dough to a rectangle that is 1/4-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Re-roll any remaining dough scraps until all the dough is used.
• Make the egg wash by combining the beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water and 1 drop of yellow food coloring, if using. Brush each square with the egg wash.
• Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on each square. Then fold the corners to meet in the middle, similar to an envelope, pinching the edges closed.
• Place the knishes on a two parchment lined baking sheets and brush with more egg wash. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling.
• Bake the knishes for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through baking until they are golden brown on the top and bottom.

JEWISH MEAT KNISHES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add flour and salt and pulse to blend.
• Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Using floured hands, form into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 9 minutes.
• Drain the mixture of excess fat. Add the pastrami and mix well.
• Pass meat through a grinder with the small hole setting. Alternatively, pulse then process the mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely chopped, taking care not to over process.
• Transfer meat to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Add the salt, garlic powder, and white pepper and mix to combine. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add the eggs and mix well to combine.
• Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough on it. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
• Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Re-roll any dough scraps until all the dough is used.
• Make the egg wash by combining the beaten egg with the water. Brush each square with the egg wash.
• Place 1 1/2 tablespoons filling on one of the dough squares.
• Stretch the dough over the filling and fold the points to meet in the center, similar to an envelope, pinching the edges closed. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling. (You might not use all the filling.)
• Place knishes on the prepared baking sheets and brush with the egg wash.
• Bake until knishes are golden brown on the top and bottom, rotating the trays in the oven halfway through baking, about 30 minutes total.

KNISH

Steps:

• Add the flour and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer.
• In a bowl, whisk the water, an egg, the vinegar, the salt, and the vegetable oil.
• Pour the prepared liquid mixture over the flour and, using the dough hook, knead until a very elastic dough is formed.
• Cover the dough and place it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Peel the potatoes, place them in a saucepan, cover with water and cook covered over medium heat for 25 minutes from the time the water returns to a boil.
• In a non-stick pan, heat the schmaltz and oil.
• Sweat the onions over medium heat until they are tender and golden. Lower the heat, then add the sugar and mix well.
• Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Drain the boiled potatoes and transfer them to a bowl.
• Add the fried onions and mash using a potato masher.
• Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F (180°C).
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough, giving it a rectangular shape of 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Cut the edges to get a nice rectangle.
• Spread the filling in the shape of a sausage along the entire length of the rectangle 1 to 2 inches (3 or 4 cm) from the edge, then roll the dough on the sausage and pinch the two ends of the tube thus forming to close it.
• Using a knife, form 14 cavities evenly spaced over the entire length of the rod.
• Cut each small roll and pinch the dough with the fingers to close the two ends (like a candy).
• Place the shaped, spaced portions on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Brush each knish with beaten egg and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden.

SUPER EASY POTATO KNISHES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400F/204C.
• MAKE POTATO MIXTURE: To fry onions, heat oil on medium heat and sauté onions for 5-6 minutes just until slightly brown. Combine mashed potatoes and caramelized onions in a medium bowl with a fork. Season with salt and pepper - or 2 tablespoons of dry onion soup mix - to taste. You can omit the salt and pepper if you are using leftover mashed potatoes that are already seasoned.
• MAKE KNISHES: You will make two rolls of knishes from each sheet of puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, unroll one sheet of puff pastry dough. It should be about 1/4 inch/0.63cm thick or less. Stretch out or roll dough a bit if necessary. Spread potato filling to resemble a log - about 2 inches/5cm thick - along one side of the rolled dough. Fold dough over the potato about 1 1/2 times in a jelly-roll fashion, making a log/roll. Cut away remaining dough with a sharp knife for the next roll. Tuck ends and pinch seams together well (to ensure filling doesn't seep out). Repeat with other half of dough on the same sheet of dough. Then do the same with the second sheet of dough. If you have extra dough and potato mixture left over, make a 5th roll.
• BAKE: Place rolls on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down. Brush egg wash on rolls which will create a glazed golden look (optional). Bake for 25-30 minutes to a golden brown flaky pastry. If any potato mixture seeps out, tuck it back into the knish roll with a knife.
• TO SERVE: Cut rolls of finished knishes into 2 inch/5 cm pieces on the diagonal and serve. To make ahead (recommended!) see Note 2.

POTATO-KASHA KNISHES

Steps:

• Start with our step-by-step knish how-to.
• Make the dough: Put the flour in a food processor, then pulse as you pour the olive oil through the feed tube. Scrape down the sides of the processor and pulse again.
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in the seltzer and vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Pulse as you pour the liquid through the feed tube, 20 to 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Flatten into an even disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Make the filling: Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and season with salt. Simmer until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and coarsely mash in a large bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook about 5 minutes; uncover and cook, stirring, until browned, 15 to 20 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the kasha in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until toasted, about 4 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool slightly, then add to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the onions and mash.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes before making the knishes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F; lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil.
• Make the knishes; place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes; brush with olive oil and continue baking until golden, 25 to 35 more minutes. Serve with mustard.

KASHA KNISHES

Steps:

• Add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until well combined and a dough forms. Knead dough well for 5-10 minutes. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Fridge the dough for one hour. In a pan, add 1 tablespoon of Colavita Olive Oil and the diced onion. Fry on med-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove the onion and add 1 tablespoon of Colavita Olive Oil. Add the Kasha (Buckwheat), salt and pepper. Stir well. Add 1 cup of water, bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl combine the kasha, onions and mashed potatoes. Stir well. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle. Put the filling across the dough longways 2 inches from the bottom. (See picture for reference). Egg-wash the bottom and top of the dough and roll longways. Roll the log so that it is closed tightly. Use the palm of your hand to create dents in the log every 2 inches. Use a knife to cut where you dented. (See picture 2 for reference) Face the dough upwards so the open part is facing up. Use your thumbs to push the dough into the center. (See picture 3 for reference) Put on a baking sheet and egg-wash generously. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top appears golden brown.

KNISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the onions, potatoes, egg, and parsley together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. For the pastry: In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, water, vinegar, and salt. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time and knead into a ball. Shape into 4 balls and let rest, covered with a cloth, about 30 minutes. Roll each ball of dough out as thin as possible into a flat rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with flour and cover with parchment paper. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Using your hands, spread the dough out very thin. Spread 1/4 of the filling onto one third of the dough, leaving a one inch border. Holding the parchment paper, roll up the dough like a jelly roll, brushing oil across the top a couple of times as you roll. Using the side of your hand like a knife, divided the roll into 2-inch knishes. pinch the open ends shut. Repeat procedure with remaining balls and dough. Place the knishes, flat side down, 2 inches apart, on a greased baking sheet. The knishes will need to be baked in batches. Brush the knishes with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Place the knishes on a platter and garnish with Essence and parsley.