Mushroom Pie

To Make the Dough:
1 cup full-fat, plain yogurt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 3 cups of flour, with an extra cup or so for kneading
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix the yogurt, egg, butter, and salt in a bowl. Add flour by the cupful, stirring until it?s absorbed. Knead dough on a floured surface for a few minutes, adding the baking soda. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before using. (This recipe makes enough dough for two 8- to 9-inch pies. Kolker usually makes one pie at a time, so she cuts the dough in half and freezes half for future use.)

To Make the Topping:
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Havarti cheese
In the meantime, saut? a bunch of chopped onions on medium heat in butter for 10 minutes, until they?re translucent and soft. Add mushrooms chopped into ?-inch chunks. (Kolker used white button mushrooms, but adds that portabellas would work well, too.) Saut? until the mushrooms are cooked, about 10 minutes. Add a minced garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme during the last 30 seconds of cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool 10-15 minutes. Add cheese ? what kind and how much is up to you, Kolker says. ?I used havarti, and a lot of it.? (Although cheese isn?t traditional in Russian savory pies, she says she likes using feta and Parmesan in this recipe, too.)

Preheat oven to 425. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness using a floured rolling pin until you have a 9- or 10-inch round. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it into a buttered 9-inch pie pan. (Kolker lines hers with foil.) Spread the mushroom filling over the top. Fold the edges of the dough about a 1/2-inch over the filling to create a crust, so the pie ends up looking a bit like pizza. (The dough does not cover the filling here.) Bake 15-25 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Let cool before eating.

Milwaukee Home & Fine Living