Do not falter comrade or the Kremlin will come knocking
A pie with a five-year plan. Kulebyaka layers salmon, buttery mushrooms, dill rice and egg inside soft yeasted dough, with thin crepes wrapped around the filling as a moisture shield. It's architecture you can eat, so plan your components, keep everything cold and build with confidence, comrade.
The challenge
- Yeasted dough handling
- Multiple filling layers
- Preventing soggy bottom
- Structural integrity during baking
- Crepe barrier technique
This elaborate Russian pie is essentially architectural baking with all its layers. A thin crepe sits between the filling and bottom dough to prevent sogginess, which means you're making both bread dough and crepes before assembly even begins.
The dough needs to stretch thin enough to encase everything without tearing, while the filling ratios must be calibrated so nothing leaks. Traditional versions can be two feet long and require careful planning to get all components ready simultaneously.
Prep: 2 hours 30 minutes (including rising) Β Β·Β Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the yeasted dough
- 500 g (4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt
- 250 ml (1 cup) warm milk
- 1 egg
- 80 g (5 1/2 tbsp) butter, softened
For the crepes
- 100 g (3/4 cup) plain flour, 250 ml (1 cup) milk, 1 egg and a pinch of salt
- Butter, for the pan
For the fillings
- 600 g (1.3 lb) skinless salmon fillet, cut into large chunks
- 150 g (3/4 cup) long-grain rice, cooked in 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) fish or chicken stock
- 300 g (10.5 oz) mushrooms, finely chopped, and 1 onion, finely chopped
- 40 g (3 tbsp) butter
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 large bunch dill, chopped, and zest of 1 lemon
To finish
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk, for glazing
- 30 g (2 tbsp) melted butter, and sour cream to serve
Method
- Make the doughMix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm milk and egg and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then knead in the soft butter a little at a time until the dough is silky. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until doubled.
- Make the crepesWhisk the crepe ingredients into a smooth batter and rest for 15 minutes. Cook 5-6 thin crepes, about 22 cm (9 in) wide, in a lightly buttered pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side. Stack and cool.
- Prepare the rice and eggsCook the rice in the stock, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Spread out to cool, then stir in half the dill and the lemon zest. Mix the chopped eggs with the rest of the dill and season.
- Cook the mushrooms dryMelt the butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes until every bit of liquid has evaporated and they start to brown. Season and cool completely. Wet mushrooms are the number one cause of a soggy bottom.
- Season the salmonSeason the salmon chunks with salt and pepper and keep chilled. Every filling must be completely cold before assembly.
- Roll the baseKnock back the dough and cut off one third for the lid. On a sheet of baking paper, roll the larger piece into a rectangle about 40 x 28 cm (16 x 11 in) and 5 mm (1/4 in) thick.
- Build the layersLay 3 crepes down the centre of the dough, overlapping, leaving a 5 cm (2 in) border of dough. Layer half the rice in a neat log, then half the mushrooms, all the salmon, the egg and dill mixture, the rest of the mushrooms and the rest of the rice, pressing gently into a tall, compact loaf shape. Fold the edges of the crepes up and lay the remaining crepes over the top so the filling is fully wrapped.
- Seal the pieBrush the dough border with water. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle big enough to cover the filling, drape it over and press the edges firmly to seal. Trim, then fold and crimp the edges into a rope pattern. Cut 2-3 steam holes in the top and decorate with dough offcuts if you like. Leave to prove for 20 minutes while the oven heats.
- BakeHeat the oven to 200Β°C (400Β°F) with a baking tray inside. Brush the pie with egg glaze and slide it, on its paper, onto the hot tray on the lower shelf. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce to 180Β°C (350Β°F) and bake for 30-35 minutes more until deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
- Rest and serveBrush with melted butter and rest for 20 minutes so it slices cleanly without collapsing. Cut into thick slices and serve with sour cream or more melted butter.
- Report to the PolitburoSlice the kulebyaka in front of your guests so they can witness every perfect layer. Accept compliments with a stern nod, as if you were never worried. You weren't. The Kremlin can stand down.
Tips from the trenches
- The crepes are your moisture barrier. Make sure there are no gaps underneath the filling.
- Everything must be cold and dry before assembly. Warm filling melts the butter in the dough and causes tears and leaks.
- Baking on a preheated tray on the lower shelf gives the base a blast of heat, which is your best defence against a soggy bottom.
- Build the filling as a tight, compact log. A loose pile shifts while baking and splits the dough.
βCooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation - experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way.ββ Paul Theroux
