Directions

2 Hours Before Cooking

1. In a small pot or in the microwave, heat the milk to 110F.

2. Transfer the warm milk to a large bowl and whisk in the yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Crack 1 of the eggs into the yeast mixture, then add 3 tablespoons of the oil, 3 cups of flour, and 1 teaspoon of S&P Seasoning. Using a rubber spatula, stir until well mixed and a rough dough comes together. Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until soft, supple, and pliable, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a little more flour if the dough feels too sticky. Shape the dough into a ball.

4. Lightly oil a second large bowl and put the dough into it.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place (70° to 80°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

PREP 🥒

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.

2. Oil two 9” square baking dishes. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it into sixteen equal portions. Form each portion into a ball. Arrange half of the balls in each prepared baking dish, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Cover each dish with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and shred the carrot. Dice the tomatoes. Peel and cube the potatoes.
4. Pit and roughly chop the prunes. Shred the cabbage. Peel and mince the garlic.
5. Pick and coarsely chop the herbs.  Peel the beets and cut them into matchsticks.

6. Drain the beans.

HOW TO COOK 🍳

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg.

2. Brush the top of each roll with the egg. Bake the rolls until they are a deep golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of oil, half of the garlic, and half of the dill.
4. In a large pot, melt the butter with the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring from time to time, for 2 minutes longer.

5. Now it’s time to add water. It is always a bit tricky to say how much because the ideal amount is never the same. It will depend on how big your pot is and the volume of your vegetables. For me, it’s usually 3 to 3 1/2 quarts, but I never measure the exact amount. You want enough to cover all the vegetables by about 1 inch. You can always add more water later, if needed. Once the water is in the pot, add the potatoes, beets, bell pepper, mushrooms, prunes, and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil. Add a generous pinch of S&P Seasoning, turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.

6. Add the beans and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and the remaining garlic and dill and season to taste with S&P Seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for 2 more minutes longer.

7. When the rolls are ready, remove them from the oven and immediately brush each roll with the garlic & dill oil. Top with a tiny pinch of S&P Seasoning. Transfer the rolls to wire racks and let cool before serving. These rolls taste best the day they are baked.

8. Ladle the borscht into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Serve right away with the pampushky on the side.