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Yields:
12
Prep Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 15 mins
Though you wouldn't know it now, the humble knish used to be the unofficial street food of New York City, right up there with pushcart hot dogs and dollar slices. Brought to the city by Eastern European (mostly Ashkenazi Jewish) immigrants at the turn of the 20th century, knishes quickly rose in popularity among working class New Yorkers. These hearty pastries—mashed potatoes, studded with bits of caramelized onion, enveloped in a thin crust—accomplished 3 things very well. They were delicious, they were filling, and they were extremely cheap. They were so cheap, in fact, that in 1916 the New York Times reported on a price-gouging war between two Lower East Side Knisheries; Max Green's was charging 5 cents a piece, while their new neighbors across the street were charging 3. As Jewish immigrants moved to new neighborhoods, the knish's popularity grew throughout the city. Fried knish companies popped up, making square, golden yellow potato bricks that were more durable, and easy for street vendors to stack in their carts. (Hot tip: Most knish lovers will tell you a fried knish is not a real knish.)
The knish's fall from stardom is up for debate. Some believe that as those primarily Jewish neighborhoods were gentrified, the knish businesses lost much-needed loyal customers. Other's cite the New York Health Department in the mid-nineties; under Guiliani they added cooked potato to their list of potentially hazardous foods, subsequently ticketing street carts for holding their knishes at unsafe temperatures. It wasn't long before this once ubiquitous snack disappeared from pretty much...everywhere.
Today, depending on where you live, you might be able to track a knish down. But thanks to this recipe, you need only turn to your kitchen! Making knishes is super easy, and a great canvas to experiment with your favorite flavors.
The below recipes include classic potato & onion knishes, spanakopita-style knishes, and samosa-style knishes. The simple potato filling is ripe for riffing—I chose to replicate some of my favorite flavors, but feel free to invent your own.
Pro Tips: I offer some measurements in the recipes below to guide you in the right direction, but making knishes is an inexact art. As long as you make the dough as directed, and your potato filling amount is in the ballpark of what's called for, you'll come out with a knish at the end. Don't be nervous about rolling your dough too thin, it is very elastic, and doesn't rip easily.
I found steaming the potatoes resulted in a lighter, fluffier filling. If you don't have a steamer, fill a large pot with about 2" water, then fit a metal colander inside. (Make sure there are no plastic parts on your colander that could melt.) Place your potatoes in the colander, then cover with a lid. Alternatively—just boil 'em! Your knishes will still taste great.
Schmaltz, AKA chicken fat, is completely unnecessary, but it will give your knishes a major boost of flavor. If you're looking to make the most authentic knish, track down some good quality schmaltz.
Made these? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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Ingredients
For dough:
- 2 cups
(240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp.
baking powder
- 3/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/3 cup
vegetable oil or schmaltz
- 3 Tbsp.
warm water
- 1
large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp.
white vinegar
For classic filling:
- 2
large Russet potaotes, peeled and cut into sixths (about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs)
- 3 Tbsp.
full-fat sour cream
Kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp.
butter or schmaltz
- 2 Tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1
medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2
stems fresh thyme (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1
egg beaten with 1 tsp water
For samosa-style filling:
- 2
large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into sixths (about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs)
- 4 Tbsp.
butter
Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp.
vegetable oil
- 1 tsp.
coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp.
cumin seeds, crushed
- 1 cup
frozen peas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp.
chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp.
turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup
freshly chopped cilantro
- 1
egg beaten with 1 tsp water
For spanakopita-style filling:
- 2
large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into sixths (about 1 to 1 1/4 lbs)
- 3 Tbsp.
full-fat sour cream
Kosher salt
- 1
(10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 2 Tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 5
green onions, thinly sliced
- 2
cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp.
dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup
freshly chopped dill
- 1 tsp.
lemon zest
- 5 oz.
feta, cut into small cubes
- 1
egg beaten with 1 tsp water
- 1/4 cup
sesame seeds
Directions
For dough:
- Step 1Make dough: in a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine vegetable oil or schmaltz with warm water, egg, and white vinegar.
- Step 2Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid ingredients into the center. Stir to combine until a ball of dough forms. Transfer dough to a clean work surface and knead to ensure all flour is evenly incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 3Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature. (Refrigerate dough if not using within the hour. Dough can be left in the fridge up to 3 days, bring up to room temperature before using.)
For classic knishes:
- Step 1Caramelize onions: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine butter or schmaltz and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onion and thyme if using. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and golden, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Step 2Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!)
- Step 3Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add sour cream and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning.
- Step 4When onions are done, remove thyme stems if used, then transfer onions to bowl with potatoes and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Step 5Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.)
- Step 6Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed.
- Step 7Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish.
- Step 8To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough.
- Step 9Place knishes on prepared baking sheet and brush with egg and water mixture. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving.
For samosa-style filling:
- Step 1Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!)
- Step 2Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add butter and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning.
- Step 3Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add coriander and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add peas, chaat masala, and turmeric. Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute more, then add mixture to pot with mashed potatoes and stir to incorporate. Fold in cilantro.
- Step 4Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.)
- Step 5Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed.
- Step 6Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish.
- Step 7To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough.
- Step 8Place knishes on prepared baking sheet and brush with egg and water mixture. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving.
For spanakopita-style filling:
- Step 1Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with 1" of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring water to a boil, then add potatoes and cover with a lid. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (We like to insert a paring knife into the thickest part of a piece of potato. If the potato slides off when the knife is lifted, they're good to go!)
- Step 2Carefully remove steamer basket and drain water from pot. Transfer potatoes to pot, add sour cream and season with salt. Mash until mostly smooth (some lumps are OK!) and taste for seasoning.
- Step 3Using a clean kitchen towel, squeeze all excess moisture out of spinach, then transfer to pot with potatoes.
- Step 4In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add green onions and cook until softened and translucent, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute more, then transfer mixture to bowl with potatoes.
- Step 5Add dill and lemon zest to bowl with potatoes and stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Gently fold in cubed feta and season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Carefully pour sesame seeds onto a small shallow plate.
- Step 6Assemble knish: line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°. Split dough in half, placing one half back under plastic wrap. (It’s normal for some oil to sweat out of the dough while it’s resting. Knead it a couple times in the bowl to reincorporate oil if needed.)
- Step 7Using your hands, shape dough into a rectangle, then roll out into a large rectangle that is about 1/8” thick and between 12” and 15” on the long side. (This dough is very forgiving and doesn’t easily stick to surfaces, so don’t worry about being too rough with it!) Transfer half your potato mixture to the dough, and create a 2” wide log parallel to the 12”-15” edge of dough closest to you, 1”-2” from the bottom edge. Lift the 1”-2” of excess dough over the potato mixture, then carefully roll potato mixture away from you until you reach the other end of the dough, like rolling a cigarette. Arrange so the seam is on the bottom, and adjust roll if needed so that potato filling is evenly distributed.
- Step 8Trim ends of dough so it is even with the potato filling. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make light indentations every 2”-2 ½” so that your cylinder is divided into 6 equally sized pieces. Use the sharp side of your dinner knife to cut through each knish.
- Step 9To shape your knishes: to make the bottom, use your finger to gently press the filling inward, then stretch the dough over the filling and pinch to seal. Flip the knish over so that the bottom is touching a clean work surface. For the top, use your thumbs and pointer fingers to press the cut dough in towards the center, so there is a slight indent and some filling showing. Repeat with remaining knishes, then repeat entire process with second piece of dough.
- Step 10Dip the bottoms of each knish into sesame seeds, then place on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg and water mixture and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. Bake, turning pan halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool at least half an hour before serving.
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