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Sauerkraut and mushrooms buns on a plate.
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Sauerkraut Mushroom Buns (Polish Paszteciki/Kapusniaczki)

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
rising time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the sauerkraut mushroom filling:

  • 1 lb (450g) drained sauerkraut
  • 0.7 oz (20g) dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 allspice berries
  • 3 tablespoons frying oil
  • 2 medium onions 240g / 8.5 oz
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram
  • 14 oz (400g) fresh cremini mushrooms
  • salt and black pepper to taste

for the yeast dough:

  • 3 1/4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, not scooped
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (240g) milk
  • 2 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast 9g, 1 packet + 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temp
  • 1 egg yolk at room temp
  • 1 stick (115g) very soft butter

additionally:

  • 1 egg+1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
  • caraway seeds to sprinkle on top of the pastries

Instructions

Make the filling:

  • Drain the sauerkraut (drained sauerkraut should weigh 450g / 16 oz), combine in a medium pot with dried mushrooms, bay leaves, and allspice berries. Add water, enough to cover the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Cook, partially covered, over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the sauerkraut is soft.
  • Cut fresh mushrooms into slices, dice the onions.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a big frying pan. Cook the chopped onion with caraway seeds for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until soft and translucent. Add marjoram, cook for another minute, transfer to a plate.
  • Increase the heat to high, add another tablespoon of oil and chopped mushrooms. Don’t stir for the first 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned at the bottom, then stir and cook until the mushrooms release water. Cook until it evaporates, stirring from time to time, then cook until nicely browned, transfer on a plate. Take the pan off the heat.
  • Drain the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms (you can reserve the liquid, it can be used to enhance the flavor of many soups, including Polish Christmas Eve Beet Soup). Discard bay leaves and allspice berries.
  • Add the cooked sauerkraut with mushrooms, pan-fried cremini mushrooms, and sauteed onions to a food processor bowl. Pulse several times to chop finely (but not to a paste consistency). You can also chop it finely with a knife.
  • Season the filling with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Set aside to cool then put in the fridge. The filling must be cold before you put it on the dough (important).

Make the dough:

  • Add the flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Heat milk to 100-110°F (38-43°C) (pleasantly warm to your finger, it can't be too hot) pour into a medium bowl. Add sugar and yeast, stir. Let stand for 10 minutes until foam appears.
  • Add the egg, egg yolk, and yeast-milk mixture to the bowl with flour (butter not yet). Stir with a spoon until roughly combined.
  • Knead with a stand mixer at speed 2 or by hand for about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky, try to not add any more flour (especially if using a stand mixer).
  • Slowly add butter, tablespoon after tablespoon, adding the next one when the previous is incorporated into the dough.
  • Knead the dough for 10 minutes. It will be a little bit sticky. Scrape the dough out of the bowl on a silicone rolling mat or on a counter.
  • Lightly grease the bowl with neutral-tasting vegetable oil, then lightly grease your hands and form the dough into a smooth ball, about 1 minute.
  • Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm place, for example, in a turned off oven with a light on.
  • Let rise for 1 hour, the dough should double its volume.

Shape the buns:

  • Transfer the dough to a counter / a silicone rolling mat and roll it out to a rectangle (about 14x18 inch (35x45cm)). Divide it into 4 long strips.
  • Place some of the filling in the middle of each strip (see photos in the body of the post for a reference). You will have some filling left, you can use it as a filling for pierogi or freeze it.
  • Wrap the dough around the filling creating a long log.
  • Transfer each log to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let rise again for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Make egg wash: beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water until well combined. Brush the logs with the egg wash on all sides.
  • Cut the log with a knife every 2 inches (5 cm) but don't divide it into parts (it will make it easier to divide it into smaller portions after it has been baked).
  • Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Enjoy!