Crisp kefir dough ribbons

By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026

Verhuny are Ukrainian fried pastries made from a yeast-free dough, cut into diamonds, twisted through a slit and dusted with powdered sugar once they cool. They come out golden and crackly at the edges and soft in the middle. Kefir gives them a tender crumb inside a crisp crust, along with a light tang under the sugar.

A treat for carol singers and winter evenings

Verhuny were traditionally made for village evening gatherings, for Christmas and as a gift for the carol singers and New Year well-wishers who went from house to house. They were also fried for christenings, and made without eggs during Lent. Today they are fried on ordinary days too, and they are especially linked with the Poltava region. The name is said to come from the Ukrainian word for turning, after the way one end of the dough is pulled through the slit, and old regional versions added rum and almonds in Kyiv or lemon zest in Konotop.

Thin dough and steady oil make the crunch

Earlier cooks made the dough with soured milk, and rich kefir does the same job today. Keep the dough soft, because too much flour stops verhuny from being light, and let it rest for 20 minutes so the gluten relaxes and it rolls out easily. Thickness decides the texture. At 3 to 4 mm the ends turn crisp while the centre stays soft, but at 1 to 1.5 cm the pieces puff up like small pancakes.

The oil matters just as much. At about 170°C the pastries cook through and turn golden, while cooler oil lets them soak up fat and hotter oil burns the outside before the middle is done. Fry only a few at a time, since a crowded pan cools the oil and makes them greasy.

Sugar them cool and serve with tea

Wait until the twists have cooled before dusting them, because powdered sugar melts on hot pastry. Pile them on a plate with a pot of tea, a glass of milk or a mug of hot cocoa. For extra sweetness, set out jam, runny honey, or peanut or chocolate spread for dipping.