Pan-Fried Hand Pies with Dry Yeast
Appetizing, hearty, and very tasty, for the whole family. Pan-fried hand pies with dry yeast are made from ordinary ingredients that everyone usually has at home. You can easily feed the whole family by serving them with tea, and they are also convenient to take along on a walk.
Updated : 26 March, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Dough
4 cup
Wheat flour
12 grams
Dry yeast
2 cup
Water
2 teaspoon
Sugar
2 teaspoon
Salt
3 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
Filling
1.5 kilograms
Potato
50 grams
Green onion
50 grams
Dill
1 cup
Milk
to taste
Salt
Frying
1 cup
Vegetable oil
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you make pan-fried hand pies with dry yeast? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Use all-purpose flour. Any neutral vegetable oil will work. Instead of onion and dill, you can use any herbs you like best.
Step 2
How do you make yeast dough for tasty hand pies? Some yeasts need to be activated first by dissolving them in a warm liquid, while others can be added directly to the flour. For this dough, use the kind that needs to be activated first. Take a deep bowl convenient for mixing dry and liquid ingredients. Heat the water to 37-40°C (99-104°F) and add the sugar and yeast.
Step 3
If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, the right temperature can be checked this way: place a drop of water on the inside of your wrist. If it feels neutral, neither cold nor hot, the temperature is correct. At a low temperature, the yeast will work more slowly and the dough will need more time. At a higher temperature, the yeast will die, the dough will not rise, and the taste of the finished pies will be spoiled.
Step 4
Add 3-4 tablespoons of sifted flour, mix, and leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. Flour for dough should be sifted to remove fine impurities and enrich it with oxygen so the dough turns out airy. A fluffy cap should appear on the surface, which means the yeast has activated and is ready to work. Add salt and half of the oil. The rest will be needed later. Mix well. The salt should dissolve, and the oil should distribute evenly through the dough.
Step 5
Sift half of the required flour into the bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Sift the remaining flour into a separate container.
Step 6
The properties of flour of the same type can differ from one producer to another, so add the flour in small portions to get the right consistency. You may need a little less or a little more. When it becomes difficult to mix with a spoon, start kneading with your hands. Knead the dough thoroughly.
Step 7
The dough should turn out soft and tender. Grease the bottom and sides of the bowl with vegetable oil so the dough does not stick. Also knead the finished dough with hands greased with oil. Cover the bowl with a cloth or towel so the dough does not dry out and rises well. Leave it in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours.
Step 8
How do you make the filling for the hand pies? Wash the potatoes under running water, peel them, and rinse them again. Cut them into pieces of about the same size so that all the potatoes cook quickly and evenly. Boil until done. This will take about 20-30 minutes, depending on your stove and the type of potato. Do not salt them.
Step 9
While the potatoes are boiling, remove any wilted parts from the herbs and rinse them under running water. Dry them thoroughly with a cotton or paper towel. Chop them with a knife or blender. I like visible pieces of herbs in the filling, so I chop them with a knife. Bring the milk to a boil and immediately remove it from the heat.
Step 10
Drain all the water from the cooked potatoes. Add the milk and mash the potatoes while they are still hot. It is better not to use a blender for the mash, because it becomes heavy and very sticky. That makes it difficult to work with. Add the chopped herbs, salt, and mix the mash thoroughly until smooth. The filling is ready. Fill the pies only when it has cooled, otherwise the dough can be spoiled.
Step 11
When the dough has increased 1.5 to 2 times in volume, it is ready to use. Punch the dough down, separate pieces from it, and roll them into balls about the size of a large walnut. Place them on a flat work surface dusted with flour.
Step 12
Shape the pies. Make them with hands greased with oil or dusted with flour. But keep in mind that if there is too much flour on the pie, it will burn during frying. Roll the dough into a round sheet 0.4-0.5 cm (about 0.16-0.2 inch) thick.
Step 13
Shape the filling into an oblong “cutlet” on the dough.
Step 14
Seal the dough all along the edge. Carefully flatten the pie and place it seam-side down on a floured surface.
Step 15
Shape all the pies this way. When the first pies have risen a little and increased in volume, you can start frying them.
Step 16
Whatever pan you use, pour in enough oil so the pies are submerged halfway. Heat the oil over medium heat, because working with hot oil is dangerous and you can get burned. To prevent splattering, you can add a pinch of salt to the oil, which will absorb any moisture if there is any. Check whether the oil is hot enough by dropping in a small piece of dough. It should start bubbling.
Step 17
Carefully lower the pies into the oil. Fry the fluffy potato hand pies in the pan on both sides until golden brown. Transfer the finished pies to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve them with hot tea, cocoa, or milk. Enjoy your meal!
Author note
Share the recipe
