Fried pirôžky: yeast pastries with poppy seeds and plum jam

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Mix the yeast with the sugar into a paste, pour in part of the lukewarm milk, about 50–100 ml, and let it rise, covered with a kitchen towel, for about 10 minutes. The starter will begin to bubble and thicken.

2. Finely grate the boiled, cooled potato and add it to the salted flour. Also add the egg, a tablespoon of oil, the risen starter and the rest of the lukewarm milk.

3. Knead a stiffer dough, and if it sticks, dust it with flour. Let it rise in a warm place without drafts for 20–30 minutes, until it has clearly increased in volume.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix the poppy seeds with the plum butter, add the rum, lemon zest and sugar to taste. The filling should be thick but not dry, and you can adjust its thickness with a little milk.

5. Roll the risen dough out into a rectangle about a centimeter thick and cut it into 28 pieces. Put a little filling on each one, roll it up and press the sides firmly with your fingers. Roll the pirôžky into cylinders and let them rise for a short while; meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep frying pan.

6. Before frying, roll the pirôžky lightly once more into longer cylinders and slowly lower them into the hot oil. Fry over moderate heat so they do not burn, turning them regularly so they cook evenly. They are done in 5–10 minutes, when nicely golden.

Tip: Boil the potato for the dough a day ahead if you like; completely cooled, it grates the finest. Let the fried pirôžky drain on a paper towel.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Vyprážané pirôžky s makom a slivkovým lekvárom