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We’ve always called these piroshki, but they are also known as buchty. They are amazingly soft. Mom made these while our relatives were visiting and I received several phone calls requesting the recipe. There’s a secret ingredient in these.
It is our friend, Canadian flour (i.e. flour made in Canada). Before your criticize my use of this specific flour, hear me out. I’ve tested regular all-purpose flour, cake flour, and Canadian flour. 148 piroshki (buchty) later…
Bleached all-purpose flour works and they turn out good, but not AWESOME. You need around 7 cups of bleached all-purpose flour if you decide to go this route (please please keep reading and maybe I’ll change your mind).
Cake flour buchty turned out really really soft, but the dough was just thick, but still really really soft and they were eaten up anyway. You just need to buy 2 boxes of cake flour (it took the first box, plus another two cups or so; way more flour than the other two. I think it was nearly 9 cups; I got frustrated and stopped counting, plus cake flour is the priciest option).
Canadian Flour (flour that is made in Canada): I returned to what my mom uses and let me tell you they were “let’s do cartwheels for the first time in 10 years” good (I don’t advise that. You’ll probably require physical therapy and look incredibly awkward in the air so try to resist the urge). You will have the urge. Canadian flour is sold at Cash and Carry, at Winco (under the honey dispensers) and I hear it’s sold in Sam’s club. If you know of other places, please let me know!
P.S. It only looks complicated with the 40 pictures. It really isn’t .
Ingredients for Mom’s Famous Buchty/Piroshki:
2 cups warm milk (heated in micro 1.5 minutes in micro)
1 1/3 Tbsp (i.e. 1Tbsp + 1 tsp) active dry yeast
6 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp bleached all-purpose Canadian flour *measured correctly
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tbsp) (salted or unsalted) melted so it’s warm not hot
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
filling:
4 cups pitted cherries or berries or 1 tvorog cheese recipe
Sugar (about 1/2 cup)
glaze:
2 Tbsp water
1 rounded Tbsp sugar
How to Make the Best Cherry Buchty/Piroshki:
Preheat your oven to 360 °F at step 13.
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add warm milk and sprinkle the top with 1 1/3 Tbsp yeast. Let sit for 5-7 five minutes. Add 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk together until blended and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. It will rise faster in a warm place – put it in the shade if its warm outside.
2. Whisk in 3 eggs, 12 Tbsp warm melted butter and remaining 3/4 cups sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
3. Using the dough hook attachment on low, stir in the flour half a cup at a time. Mix a total of 15 minutes on low speed. You know you’ve added enough flour when the dough is no longer sticking to the walls. Dough will be smooth and elastic. It will feel slightly sticky but should not stick to your hands.
4. Transfer to a large bowl and let rise 2 hours until it is tripled in volume. Again, it will rise faster in a warm room or outside in the shade on a hot day.
Meet my sweet little niece who happened to be eating lunch at the same counter 🙂
5. While it’s rising, pit your cherries. Oh and enter the drawing for the cherry pitter (ends July 26th at midnight!). I should tell you that the cherry pitter pictured here is great for large scale cherry pitting jobs such as freezing.
6. On a clean non stick surface, make a log out of your dough and cut into six equal pieces.
(She liked taking pictures, and poking at the dough. )
7. Work with one piece at a time and roll into 13-14 inch circles
8. Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 even triangles
9. Put 1/2 tsp sugar in the center of each triangle
10. Place 3-4 cherries over the sugar.
11. Pinch the two edges together over the cherries and seal all the way down. Seal the dough To the base and the front
12. Pinch the next two corners together toward the center and roll forward.
The goal is to have a tight seal so the cherry juice doesn’t escape during the baking process.
Preheat oven to 360 °F
13. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place Piroshki on lined baking sheet with the tail end down, about 1/2 inch apart. Let piroshki rise for 30 minutes to 1 hr while the oven preheats.
14. Bake for 20-25 min till golden brown. After they are done, brush right away with 2 Tbsp water/ 1 rounded Tbsp sugar mix.
Buchty - Sweet Cherry Filled Buns
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm milk, heated in micro 1.5 minutes in micro
- 1 1/3 Tbsp i.e. 1Tbsp + 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 6 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp bleached all-purpose Canadian flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, 12 Tbsp (salted or unsalted) melted so it's warm not hot
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
filling:
- 4 cups pitted cherries or berries or 1 tvorog cheese recipe
- Sugar, about 1/2 cup
glaze:
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 rounded Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add warm milk and sprinkle the top with 1 1/3 Tbsp yeast. Let sit for 5-7 five minutes. Add 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk together until blended and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. It will rise faster in a warm place - put it in the shade if its warm outside.
- Whisk in 3 eggs, 12 Tbsp warm melted butter and remaining 3/4 cups sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
- Using the dough hook attachment on low, stir in the flour half a cup at a time. Mix a total of 15 minutes on low speed. You know you've added enough flour when the dough is no longer sticking to the walls. Dough will be smooth and elastic. It will feel slightly sticky but should not stick to your hands.
- Transfer to a large bowl and let rise 2 hours until it is tripled in volume.
- While it's rising, pit your cherries.
- On a clean non stick surface, make a log out of your dough and cut into six equal pieces.
- Work with one piece at a time and roll into 13-14 inch circles.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 even triangles.
- Put 1/2 tsp sugar in the center of each triangle.
- Place 3-4 cherries over the sugar.
- Pinch the two edges together over the cherries and seal all the way down. Seal the dough To the base and the front.
- Pinch the next two corners together toward the center and roll forward.
- The goal is to have a tight seal so the cherry juice doesn't escape during the baking process.
- Preheat oven to 360°F
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place Piroshki on lined baking sheet with the tail end down, about 1/2 inch apart. Let piroshki rise for 30 minutes to 1 hr while the oven preheats.
- Bake for 20-25 min till golden brown.
- Brush right away with 2 Tbsp water/ 1 rounded Tbsp sugar mix, than serve.
Be careful with those cartwheels.
Natasha, could I use your poppy seed filling from the sweet poppy seed rolls in this recipe? I thought I would do 1/3 cherry 1/3 cheese and 1/3 poppy seed. Thanks, Michele
Hi Michele, yes, this recipe will work with poppy seeds. I hope you love it.
I’m about to make these, they sound and look so good. I can’t believe ther is not a speck of salt in the recipe. Bread needs salt! Am I missing something?
Hi Judy, we believe we found the perfect balance with this recipe! Note, if you’re using salted butter that will be the source of salt in this recipe. I hope you love it!
These are insanely delicious!! We went cherry picking locally and I have been making these weekly. So so good. Thank you for the recipe.
Aren’t these so good! I’m so glad you loved it also, Marina!
Great recipe, can’t wait to try it. Regarding the flour issue, I thought I would share this.
Canadian baking recipes do not mix very well with some American flours, particularly those made in the southern United States. Why? Southern flour contains less protein than Canadian flour and does not absorb liquid as well.
Avoid brands like Martha White and White Lily when making your Canadian recipes. They contain about 9%-10% protein.
Look for unbleached all-purpose flour instead, a brand like Gold Medal, Pillsbury, or King Arthur, that contains about 12%-13% protein, the equivalent of all-purpose Canadian flour.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Ann!
Thank you, Ann, I was looking for exactly that information. I had no idea what was different about Canadian flour, but am familiar with different levels of protein in flour.
The cherries we bought have apparently disapeared and it’s too late to rum back to the store. So we are improvising with frozen strawberries.
Hi Stuart, Thank you for sharing that with me! I hope you enjoyed it with strawberries!
At this time you can buy Bread flour from Alberta at Costco in 25 lb bags. It rocks for all bread type recipes. The other brand high in gluten protein is Blue Bird. It is from Colorado.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi. Can I use the cherries that I’m a jar with the light syrup ? Zergut brand
Hi Nazy, a few readers reported great results using canned sweet wild cherries.
Thank you.
I did not read through all the comments, but I think what you need to buy in this country is Bread Flour. It has a higher gluten content. That is the difference in Canadian and regular flour in the US. You can find bread flour in every grocery store where I live in NC.
Thanks for sharing! That is a great tip.
Soooooo good!
Have you/anyone tried, to double this recipe? Would anything change, time raising or mixing or anything?
Or I just have to make 1 recipe twice?
Thanks!
Hi Sveta, several of our readers have reported great results doubling this recipe.
Do I need to change anything? Still only 1 cup of flour to rise first 30min? And mix still 15 min? And rise 2 hrs?
I would double the ingredients and use larger bowls, but keep the timings the same.
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for the recipe. I made it without eggs, and I used the dough to make berry -filled buns. I add 1 tsp starch, so juices do not go everywhere. Also, I kept dough overnight in the refrigerator and made buns next day.
I wanted to share with everyone, I purchase flour from Montana flours. I need to tell you- best flour ever. I shaped an egg size buns, and they turn out to be huge after baking. They charge $20 shipping fee. But I tried other brands- no luck. http://www.montanaflour.com/100-organic-white-flour/
Unbleached white flour.
My pleasure Elena! Thanks for sharing your helpful tips and suggestions with other readers!
HELLO, WILL THE DOUGH KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR IF I MAKE IT AT NIGHT AND BAKE IN THE MORNING?
THANK YOU
Hi Iz, I haven’t tried that but I think it would work. I would refrigerate before the last rising of the buns then bring it back to room temperature and let it rise for the last time before baking.
HELLO, I MADE BUNS LAST NIGHT. I COULD NOT FIND CANADIAN FLOUR SO I USED POLISH FLOUR I FOUND IN INTERNATIONAL STORE. IT CAME OUT GREAT. I ALSO MADE IT WITH APPLE, CHEESE AND SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 40 YRS IT CAME OUT LIKE MY GRANDMOTHERS RECIPE. THE ONCE WITH CHEESE TASTED LIKE VATRUSHKA MY HUSBAND REMEMBERS FROM HIS CHILDHOOD. THE CHEESE FEELING EXPANDED WHILE BAKING. CAN YOU RECOMMEND TYPE OF CHEESE TO USE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GREAT RECIPE.
Those fillings sound wonderful! Have you tried farmers cheese for the cheese filling? It is the traditional cheese used for those 🙂
Can I cut this recipe in half successfully…or can I freeze these before baking and bake off at another time? It’s a lot for two of us.
Yes, you can reduce the recipe by half, just cut all the ingredients all in half. You can use 2 eggs and just add slightly more flour in the end if you need to.
I did put in the refr after it was actually ready, I made buns next day. I need to tell you, I like working with this dough.
Hi Natasha!
Best recipe ever! I made some with poppy seed filling and the rest with canned cherries. Everything came out perfect. Everyone loved it.
Thank you for sharing all the steps and details!
Good to know that the recipe is a huge hit!
Hello Natasha! I found Canadian flour, ready to bake but can you please tell me what kind of cherries would work best, tart or sweet? Thank you
Hi Saniya, I always use sweet cherries but I think you could make it work with tart if you prefer them.
Oh, and one more question are you using sweet cherries or tart for this recipes? Thank you! I would definitely buy your book if you decide to make one. Oh, who am I kidding, I would buy minimmum of 6 books, one for me, my sister, my mom, my sister’s in laws and one as present for a friend. Think about it please!!!!
You are so sweet Saniya – thank you!! I was using sweet cherries here because the kids love those best, but you could probably use tart cherries if you prefer.
Hello Natasha! I am planning on trying this recipe but I have a question for you, can you please share what brand of Canadian flour you like to use and where can I purchase it. I am in Michigan so probably we have just about the same stores as you, I hoope. I did find some on Amazon but don’t really want to wait till it comes, because our mouths are watering looking on your spectacular photos right now😉. Thank you for your support in advance!
Hi Saniya, I don’t have any in stock right now to see the brand on the bag, but if you are not able to find Canadian flour, try this recipe instead with the same filling. It works just as well without needing Canadian flour specifically. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi, Natasha! My husband’s sister adviced me your site and I really love it! You’re amazing! Everything is so easy thanks to your detailed explanations.
And this buns was sooooo good! Yummmm!
I didn’t know about Canadian flour, but I like the result. So I want to ask you: can I use it anytime I see in recipes all-purposed flour (sponge cake for example) or better go with usual flour?
Hi Daria, in most recipes you can use Canadian flour but they do measure out differently oftentimes. I’ve noticed that you need less Canadian flour than all-purpose flour so you might have to alter the measurements slightly. Most of my recipes call for standard US All-purpose flour because it is more readily available for everyone.
Hi Daria, in most recipes you can use Canadian flour but they do measure out differently oftentimes. I’ve noticed that you need less Canadian flour than all-purpose flour so you might have to alter the measurements slightly. Most of my recipes call for standard US All-purpose flour because it is more readily available for everyone.
Made this second time sooo good. But i made it with walnats. Thank you so much.
So glad you like it Olga! Thank you for sharing 🙂