A NEPA Lenten favorite turned into bread?! Yes, say hello to my Molten Pierogi Bread!

In Northeastern Pennsylvania, Pagash or Pierogi Pizza is a Lenten favorite. It’s a pizza-like delicacy filled with mashed potatoes and plenty of cheese - a carb overload food that I absolutely love! I eagerly look forward to eating Pagash every Lenten season, which is why I felt compelled to create a bread that highlights the best part of this potato-laden pie.

My Molten Pierogi Bread features a flavorful cold-fermented dough filled with a rich mixture of sour cream, onions, and mashed potatoes. The bread is then topped with two types of cheese and buttered onions, making it the ultimate dream for every pierogi lover out there!

Molten Pierogi Bread

Mashed Potato Filling

2-3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered 

2 TBSP cup unsalted butter

1 TBSP dried minced onion

1 TBSP reserved potato water

2 TBSP sour cream

1 tsp dried parsley 

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Dough

1 ⅓ cup warm water, 110°F

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

1 TBSP granulated sugar

2 TBSP melted unsalted butter, cooled

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 ½ cup bread flour

Topping

6 slices Cooper Sharp American cheese

4 oz. Low moisture mozzarella, shredded

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 TBSP salted butter, melted

Potato Filling: If you have leftover mashed potatoes you can skip this step but if you don’t this will be the topping for the bread. In a small pot, boil your potatoes on high heat and cook until the potatoes can be pierced with a fork. Drain the water from the potato while reserving about a tablespoon of potato water. Leave the potatoes and reserved water in the pot, add the butter. Once the butter has melted into the potato water, add the dried minced onion, sour cream and parsley. Mash together until a homogenous mixture is formed, salt and pepper to taste. Cover the potato mixture with cling wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use. This step can be done at least 3 days in advance. 

Dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine water, yeast and sugar. Let the yeast stand for 5 minutes or until it’s foamy.

Add the cooled melted butter and 1 cup of flour, mix to combine and then add the salt. Add the rest of the flour in a ¼ cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Set stand mixer to medium high speed and knead dough for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth but slightly sticky to the touch. Clean the bowl before greasing with butter and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for at least 8-12 hours. I cold fermented the dough until I was ready to use it, which was more than 12 hours. 

Preparation: When you’re ready to use, butter an 8”x 8” baking pan and place the cold proofed dough in the pan. Cover and let come to room temp for about 30 minutes. 

While the dough is coming up to temperature, preheat the oven to 475°F and melt the butter for your topping.

Press and flatten the dough into the pan until the dough reaches the edges of the pan. Push the edges of the dough up the sides of the pan to create a chasm where you can put your potato. 

Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon worth of your melted butter. Place a layer of Cooper Sharp cheese onto the buttered dough. Spread your potato mixture evenly over the dough. Top with a few more slices of the Cooper Sharp and the shredded mozzarella. With a mandolin, thinly slice your onion and toss in the rest of the melted butter. 

Top your bread with your buttered onions and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn the oven down to 350°F and finish baking for another 20 minutes. Your cheese and potato should be very bubbly as well as having a fully baked crust. 

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully releasing it with a spatula. Let cool for at least another 5 minutes on a cutting board before slicing. Serve the bread still warm so you can enjoy the ooey gooey river of potato and cheese.