Pirozhki

Method

1. 1.Warm the milk until it's just barely warm to the touch — body temperature, no more — and stir in a pinch of the sugar and the yeast. Leave it alone for ten minutes until it's foamy on top. If it isn't, your yeast is tired and there's no point going on; start again with a fresh packet.
2. 2.Mix the flour, remaining sugar and salt in a big bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture, the melted butter and the beaten egg, then bring it together and knead for a good ten minutes until you have a smooth, supple dough. Cover it and leave it somewhere draught-free for about an hour and a half, until it's doubled in size.
3. 3.While the dough is rising, make the filling. Melt a knob of butter in a pan, soften the chopped onion over low heat until it's sweet and translucent, then turn up the heat and add the minced beef. Break it up with a spoon and cook until there's no pink left and the liquid has evaporated.
4. 4.Chop the hard-boiled eggs and stir them through the meat along with a big handful of chopped dill. Season well with salt and pepper — the filling needs to taste a touch oversalted on its own, because it'll be wrapped in plain dough. Let it cool completely before you use it.
5. 5.Knock the air out of the risen dough and divide it into twelve or so pieces. Flatten each piece in your hand into a rough oval, spoon in a tablespoon of filling, then bring the edges up and pinch them firmly together along the top so you have a sealed parcel. Lay them seam-side down on a lined baking tray and let them rest for another twenty minutes.
6. 6.Brush the tops with beaten egg for colour and bake at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes until they're a proper golden brown and sound hollow when you tap the base.
7. 7.Best eaten warm with a cup of tea, which I realise is a very specific suggestion, but it's what they're for.

Notes