Round Baked Potato Knish Recipe

What's better than freshly-baked bread? Freshly-baked bread stuffed with mashed potatoes, also known as a knish. Given their portability and comforting properties, it's no wonder that these handheld delights, brought to the U.S. by Ashkenazi refugees at the turn of the century, have become a popular street food in New York and other big cities with large Jewish communities.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for round baked potato knishes and says, "I love making knishes, and serving [them] with hot mustard [as] an appetizer, game [day snack], or even for brunch. They are warm, savory, and remind me of eating a hot pretzel, but with creamy mashed potatoes on the inside. Making them involves making dough, which can be intimidating, but there's no yeast involved that can be temperamental, and you don't need to pull out the stand mixer, [since] we are just doing a simple knead for 2 minutes." Continue reading to learn how to make these delicious dough and potato creations.

To make this recipe, you only need a short list of ingredients, and most of these items you may have in your pantry — water, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and olive oil. Also, you'll need some russet potatoes and an onion. To finish off our knishes, you'll need an egg for the egg wash. "If you want to make these knishes plant-based, you can easily use melted dairy-free butter instead of the egg wash," Hahn tells us.

First, combine the water, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Then, add the flour, baking powder, and water mixture to a food processor, and blend the ingredients. While the food processor is running, drizzle in 3 tablespoons of oil, and blend for another minute. Remove the dough from the food processor, lay it on a board that has been lightly dusted with flour, and knead it for 2 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. "You can make the dough a few days in advance, and just finish the process on the day you will be serving the knishes, if you prefer," Hahn shares.

While the dough is chilling, make the potato filling. To start, peel and chop the potatoes, add them to a medium pot, cover with water, and bring it to a boil. Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. While the potatoes are boiling, dice the onion, and add them to a frying pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook them over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a colander, mash them in a large bowl, and add the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt. "If you have a potato ricer, you can use that instead of hand mashing, but it's not necessary," Hahn remarks. Once the potatoes are mashed, add in the coooked onions, and stir to combine.

Once the dough has been chilling for 1 hour, preheat the oven to 375 F, and lay the dough out on a large, lightly-floured work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle that's ⅛-inch thick. Using a glass or lid that is about 4 to 5 inches in diameter, cut the dough into 12 circles. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling into the center of the circle, then fold all the sides up over the filling, and twist to seal. Brush the knishes with the beaten egg, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. If you are serving knishes as a side dish, it pairs well with a beetroot salad, eggplant dip, or lentil soup.