How to Make Authentic Potato Knishes

Miriam Szokovski

Potato knishes need no introduction, so I’ll let the recipe speak for itself. Use the pictures as a guide for assembly.

Note: These can be made meat (by using schmaltz — rendered chicken fat), dairy (with butter) or pareve. The flavor will be better with butter or schmaltz, but make sure to clearly label the knishes so it is obvious to anyone who may eat them that they are not pareve.

Potato Knishes
Yields: 16 round knishes or 2 long rolls

Dough Ingredients
2½+ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup neutral oil
¼ cup butter (for dairy) or schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or neutral oil (for pareve)
½ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Filling Ingredients
2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons butter (for dairy) or schmaltz (chicken fat) or oil (pareve)
3 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold potatoes have the best flavor)
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt

You will also need:
1 egg, beaten
Sesame seeds (optional, for the roll)

Decide if you want your knishes to be meat, dairy or pareve. I find the pareve version to lack flavor, but it’s definitely more convenient. For pareve, use oil or margarine in the dough, for dairy use butter, for meat use schmaltz (rendered chicken fat).

Make the dough: Whisk the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Create a well in the center, and add the rest of the ingredients. Start mixing it with a spoon until the dough becomes too thick and sticky. Switch to your hands, and knead until the dough comes together in a ball. You may need to add more flour in small increments. Cover the dough and set it aside for an hour.

Make the filling: Dice the onions and saute them in oil, butter or schmaltz until soft and golden. Peel and boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash them while still warm. Add in the fried onions, mash them until smooth and add salt to taste. (Salt generously, potatoes need a lot). Mix through the beaten egg (this makes the filling smoother and creamier). Set the potato mixture aside to cool to room temperature before assembling.

To assemble: Divide the dough in half. Keep one half covered, and roll out the other half into a large rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper helps prevent the dough from sticking.
Place about half of the potato filling along the long edge of the dough, about 2-3 inches from the edge. Gently roll it up and cut off any extra dough at the ends. Using something thin and rounded — like a chopstick or your finger — press down at intervals to create eight sections.

Separate and shape each one into a round knish. The open sides will be the top and bottom. Gently press down the top, and pull the edges of the dough together. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush it generously with the beaten egg. Bake it at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, until golden. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Alternative: After shaping the dough into a log, use a sharp knife to cut slits every 1-2 inches. Brush it with egg and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Bake as above. To serve, cut the dough into pieces along the cuts you made before baking. This is definitely less time-consuming, especially if baking for a crowd.

Potato knishes are traditionally served with spicy mustard and sauerkraut.