School Belyashi

The dough requires some time to be ready. So, start preparing it. Pour warm water into a deep bowl. The water temperature should be 30–40 degrees. Add sugar.

Add the yeast. Gently mix the yeast and sugar with water. The yeast needs some time to transition from a dormant state to an active one.

You will see that the yeast growth process has started in just 10 minutes: either foam will appear on the water's surface, or the water itself will be filled with air bubbles like soda.

Only then add salt to the water (half a teaspoon). Mix the salt well in the water.

Add the flour. Always measure water and flour with the same or identical cups. The proportion is important here.

Prepare a third of a cup of vegetable oil for the dough.

Mix the flour with water a little.

Then pour in the measured vegetable oil. It's important to avoid direct contact of the oil with the yeast.

Knead the dough. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl and absorb all the flour. At this stage, it doesn't need to be kneaded until smooth. Set the dough aside for 20 minutes. During this time, the gluten will swell. Then you can easily and quickly knead the dough to a uniform state. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap (to prevent the top from drying out) and leave it for 30 minutes. After half an hour, punch down the dough in the bowl. And let it rise for another half hour.

For the filling, peel the onion, place it in a blender bowl, and chop it.

Add minced meat and half a teaspoon of salt to the onion. Mix with a blender. Divide the filling into 12 equal parts.

Place the risen dough on a lightly oiled table. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts.

Roll each piece into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Take a ball of dough and flatten it with your palm into a small pancake.

Prepare 4 or 6 flatbreads this way, depending on the number of meat pies going into the pan. Also, keep in mind that the dough will expand while frying. Place the pan over medium heat. Pour in oil. The oil should be at least 1 cm deep. After the oil heats up (2-3 minutes), reduce the heat to below medium.

Place a portion of the filling in the center of each flatbread.

Take the dough in your palm. Gather the edges of the dough to the center and pinch.

Flatten the resulting pie.

It should be round and flat — no more than 1.5 cm thick.

Place the pies in the pan with the seam side down.

Fry the belyashi first on one side...

Then flip and cook for about the same amount on the other side. Remove the finished pastries from the oil with a slotted spoon. First, place them on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil. Then transfer to a plate and serve hot.