Delicious delicate pies will always work out if you learn to feel the consistency of the dough. After all, it is not always possible to start a dough, observing exactly all the proportions. Even having first grade flour, water, yeast, an egg and a minimum of salt and sugar in the kitchen, you can get excellent pies that will instantly "swell" in a pan with butter.
It's no secret that today you can buy ready-made dough for every taste in the store: unleavened, yeast, puff (both unleavened and yeast). However, no baked goods can be compared to homemade baked goods made from start to finish with your own hands. Although in the arsenal of many housewives there are modern assistants in the form of blenders, mixers, experienced bakers recommend using their hands when kneading. After all, the dough is a living organism that absorbs all the emotions of the one who prepares it.
Old people say that you need to knead the dough only with good thoughts. Even if you have all the necessary products of the highest quality, it is unlikely that it will turn out to be successful when a woman is angry at the time of preparation.
To prepare delicious fried pies, you need very little: first grade flour, water, yeast, a pinch of salt and sugar. It is possible even without eggs, but they will undoubtedly add splendor to the dough. The main secret lies in the correct consistency, so it is important not so much to remember the recipe proportions of flour and liquid, but to feel the necessary thickness. When kneading, you need to periodically grab a small amount of dough with your hand and observe how quickly it falls off your hand. It is important that it slides slowly. If it is too liquid, it will be difficult to form the pies, and the thick will not increase in size during frying and will not be fried properly.
Of course, the quality of the yeast is also an important factor. Experts believe that the best option is fresh pressed yeast that has not been frozen. For 1 liter of liquid, you will need about 50 g (half a standard small pack). If the choice fell on dry active yeast, then 1–1, 5 teaspoons will be enough for 500–600 g of flour. True, they must first be placed in a small amount of water with added sugar for 10-15 minutes. During this time, a “cap” of foam forms on the surface, which means it's time to add the rest of the ingredients.
In order for dry yeast, previously placed in water, to "disperse" faster, there is no need to add salt. Salt will only slow down the fermentation process. You can add a teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water.
So, combining yeast with water, salt (1/3 tsp), sugar (1 tbsp), you can start adding flour. Flour is poured in 2-3 doses and mixed until smooth. As already mentioned, during the addition of flour, you need to test the density by hand. Having learned to feel the dough, you can start experimenting. After all, a good fermented milk is obtained even from such stale products in the refrigerator as sour milk, the remains of sour cream, cottage cheese. By combining them in half with water, you can get an exceptionally tender and fluffy dough for fried pies.
I must say that the option on the water will appeal to fans of a viscous and uncomfortable dough. But pie dough can also be prepared with the participation of milk, kefir, eggs, melted margarine. It is good to add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. In a word, for those who love pastry, it can be made in the same way as for sweet buns, only with a minimal use of sugar. But it will rise more slowly than the dough made on the water.
When preparing a dough for pies with a lot of butter ingredients, it is better to start it in a sponge way. On water or in half with milk, with 1 egg it will turn out light and without dough.
Milk, cream, margarine or butter have a positive effect on the taste of the finished product. But if you need the dough to come up quickly, and the taste does not suffer, the kneading is done in water in half with kefir. Of the other ingredients, it is better to limit yourself to 1 egg and a spoonful of vegetable oil, which is added at the very end. Pies made from such a dough will certainly double in size when they get into hot oil, which means they will be porous and fluffy.
