Pampushky recipe

Would you like to try traditional Ukrainian food recipes? Start with borscht and don’t forget to bake garlic herb rolls Pampushky!

What are Ukrainian garlic herb rolls (pampushky)?

Just imagine: after the gray winter, nature wakes up, the sun rays make us happier with their warmth, the trees adorn themselves with young bright leaves, the sky is clear blue, and… there is no birds singing … That’s what I see when I eat Ukrainian borscht without pampushky! What are pampushky? Well… it’s not easy to describe in words this amazingly soft Ukrainian garlic bread which every Ukrainian adores since childhood. If you like borscht, you just have to taste it in the company of these garlicky dairy free dinner rolls. Borsch and pampushky are inseparable – you should not separate them because then the “flavor melody” will sound only in a half-tone and you risk losing nearly half of your gastronomic pleasure. I’m not exaggerating  And if your pampushky are homemade, generously sprinkled with garlic and parsley or dill topping, you will have a masterpiece! There are so many Ukrainian garlic herb rolls recipes in cookbooks, on the Internet, and every Ukrainian family probably (no, for sure) has its own special one. For me, there is no more successful and delicious pampushky recipe than my grandmother’s. Although the dough is eggless and dairy free, granny’s pampushky are incredibly tender and soft, they don’t stale for a long time and taste divine. Then the garlic topping (pampushky are not pampushky without it) covers the tender buns like a light veil and perfectly complements them with flavor and unique aroma. No doubt, every gourmet should taste these Ukrainian dairy free dinner rolls at least once in their life. I am sure you’ll love them!  Enjoy Ukrainian food and have a delicious day!

Ingredients for Ukrainian garlic bread:

If you are a happy owner of an electronic scale, then I advise you to weigh the flour with it (in grams, unlike cups, you will achieve ideal accuracy, and in this recipe it is very important)

For the dough:

• Lukewarm water. Moderately warm water is just perfect for yeast, hot water can kill the yeast and the dough won’t rise. If the water is too cold, the yeast won’t activate.
• Sugar.
• Oil. Sunflower oil is preferred (it has mild flavor that is perfect for baking)
• Salt.
• Flour. Simple all-purpose flour.
• Active dry yeast (you can substitute it with fresh yeast – the proportion is 3 parts of fresh yeast = 1 part of dry yeast: 21g fresh yeast = 7g dry yeast).

Garlic topping:

• Salt.
• Oil. Sunflower oil, corn oil or olive oil will work perfectly in this case.
• Garlic. Choose big cloves, more garlic = more aroma and taste.
• Cold water.
• Chopped parsley (fresh or frozen) or dill

How to make pampushky:

Prepare the dough: dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water

Add oil

Now add the flour (first add 400g (2 1/2 cups), if the dough is very sticky to your hands – add another 50g (6Tbsp) flour) and salt

Knead the dough (until it’s smooth and comes away from your hands easily) and leave to rise for 2 hours in a warm place

Then knead the dough a little again and divide it into 16 equal parts, shape them into round buns. Put them in a baking form, it should be oiled or covered with parchment paper. Leave a little space between the buns

Leave pampushky to rise some more in a warm place for 20 minutes, then bake for 25-30 minutes at 180°C (350°F)

While the pampushky are baking, prepare the garlic sauce:  grind garlic, salt, oil, and water (I use mortar and pestle but a blender will work as well)

Add chopped parsley or dill and stir. Remove the ready pampushky from the oven

And immediately pour the sauce over them (it’s very important to do this right away, so the buns will absorb all the sauce and get a divine flavor)

Let pampushky cool down a little and serve with red borscht.

By the way, pampushky will be the perfect company not only for the classic red borscht… green borscht also goes wonderfully with them.

Do you like to experiment? Make your own homemade baking yeast! It will make the dough even softer.

Bon appetite to all!

Can I freeze these garlic herb rolls?

Yes. Pampushky will freeze well (bake them, let them cool completely, and freeze them). These dairy free dinner rolls will retain their quality for 1 to 3 months.