Pampushky (Ukrainian garlic bread rolls) recipe

Pampushky are a traditional Ukrainian garlic bread rolls. So soft and fluffy, topped with garlic oil, and chopped parsley they are fantastic

Pampushky are the fluffiest garlic bread rolls I’ve ever tasted. They just melt in your mouth! And they are very easy to make.

Minced garlic, oil, and chopped parsley (or dill) make them so flavorful that you will want to make them again and again. I believe that garlic makes anything taste better. And in combination with oil, fresh dill, or parsley it makes the best topping for bread rolls.

What is pampushky?      

Pampushky (it’s the plural form of the word pampushka) are traditional Ukrainian savory buns made from yeast dough and generously brushed with a layer of sunflower oil, minced (or crushed) garlic, salt, and chopped fresh dill or parsley.

These yeast rolls are prepared similarly to a tear-and-share bread and are perfect for sharing.

Don’t confuse them with sweet fried pampushky or pampuhy (Ukrainian doughnuts) that are traditionally made for Christmas dinner.  

You can find different pampushky recipes in cookbooks and on the Internet. Every Ukrainian family has its own recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. I always make these yeast rolls according to my grandmother’s recipe. Although the dough is eggless and dairy free, granny’s pampushky are incredibly pillowy and soft, they don’t go stale for a long time and taste like heaven. 

Pampushky make a perfect side to any dish and pair great with any soup. In Ukraine, we traditionally serve them with red borscht (the famous Ukrainian beetroot soup). This combination is beloved by all Ukrainians and not only. No wonder because it’s fantastic!

Useful tips

Yeast dough for these Ukrainian garlic bread rolls is very easy to make. It’s only important to knead it well. You can knead the dough by hand, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Then allow the dough to double in size. After that, divide it into round balls and be sure to let them rise again. The process may seem long and complicated, but it’s not. Follow just a few simple tips and you will get the perfect Ukrainian garlic bread rolls:

• If you are a happy digital kitchen scale owner, I highly recommend using it instead of cups and spoons. Especially when it comes to baking recipes. A scale gives you far more accurate results than volume measurements (everyone scoops ingredients differently). Trust me, using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients will take your baking to a new level.
• Don’t add hot or too cold water to the yeast. Hot water can kill the yeast, while cold water will prevent it from activating. Therefore, the water should be lukewarm.
• Use sunflower oil if you want to make authentic Ukrainian garlic bread rolls. Sunflower oil is traditionally used in Ukrainian recipes. It has a neutral flavor and it’s just perfect for pampushky. However, if you like expressive flavors, olive oil will work as well.
• Plain regular white flour is best for this recipe. Whole wheat flour won’t work as it will negatively affect the flavor and texture of the dough.
• You might need a little more or less flour than indicated in the recipe. It all depends on its quality. Add the flour gradually, not all at once. If the dough is too sticky, add a few more spoons.

I always bake pampushky in a round baking pan (24cm / 2 inches in diameter). If you don’t have a round ovenproof pan, you can use a cake tin. This recipe makes 16 medium-sized garlic bread rolls. You can make the buns smaller, but keep in mind that they will need less time to rise and will bake a little faster.

Feel free to add more garlic to the topping to make pampushky extra garlicky.

Ingredients

You will need just a handful of simple ingredients to make this traditional Ukrainian recipe. Let’s look at what goes into it.

For the dough:

• 220g (¾ cup + 3 Tbsp) lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 400g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 7g (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast

Garlic oil topping:

• 1 tsp salt
• 2Tbsp sunflower or olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic (you can add more)
• 50ml (3 ½ Tbsp) cold water
• 2Tbsp chopped parsley (fresh or frozen) or dill

Pampushky recipe

Activate the yeast: in a large bowl combine the yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature until foamy

Once the yeast starts to bubble, add sunflower or olive oil

At this point, add the flour gradually – first add 400g  / 2 ½ cups. If the dough is very sticky to your hands – add another 50g  / 6Tbsp. Add salt too

Knead the dough (until it’s smooth and doesn’t stick to your hands) and leave it to double in size for 2 hours in a warm place

Punch the risen dough to knock out the air and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Assemble the rolls on a baking pan (brush it with some oil or cover it with parchment paper). Leave a little space between the buns

Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 20 minutes until they almost touch each other. Then bake for 25-30 minutes at 180C (350F) until they turn golden brown

While the bread rolls are baking, make garlic oil:  whisk the minced garlic, add salt, sunflower oil, and water (you can also use a mortar and pestle, or a blender)

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

Immediately spoon the garlic oil on top of them (it’s very important to do this right away, so the bread rolls will absorb all the topping and will get a divine flavor). You can also sprinkle some salt on top

Let the Ukrainian garlic bread rolls cool down a little and enjoy.

How to serve pampushky

Pampushky are best served fresh and warm. They are delicious all on their own.

Enjoy them alongside red borscht – it’s a fantastic combination that all Ukrainians adore. Borscht and garlic bread rolls are inseparable and perfectly complement each other.

They also pair beautifully with green borscht or a meat stew.

Do you like to experiment? Make a homemade baker’s yeast! You’ll need 25g / 1oz baker’s yeast for this recipe. Use it in the same way as you would use active dry yeast.

FAQ

I hope you enjoy this pampushky recipe. So soft, delicious, and flavorful, these Ukrainian garlic bread rolls are absolutely fabulous.

Tried this recipe? Please leave a comment with Star Ratings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. I will really appreciate it.
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