{ "id": 28617, "date": "2026-11-02T15:31:06", "date_gmt": "2026-11-02T07:31:06", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/kefir.link\/zh-tw\/kefir-kurnik\/" }, "modified": "2026-11-02T15:31:06", "modified_gmt": "2026-11-02T07:31:06", "slug": "kefir-kurnik", "status": "publish", "type": "post", "link": "https:\/\/kefir.link\/en\/kefir-kurnik\/", "title": { "rendered": "Chicken and potato pie with kefir dough" }, "content": { "rendered": "
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\"\"By Nik<\/strong><\/a>, founder of \u6771\u6b50\u56b4\u9078\uff5ckefir.link and former chef \u00b7 Updated 2 November 2026<\/p>\n

Kurnik is a closed Russian chicken pie, and this everyday version hides cubes of chicken, onion and thin strips of potato under a buttery golden lid. The dough is mixed with kefir and baking soda, and the kefir's acid makes the soda release carbon dioxide, which gives the soft, rich pastry a little lift. It is the simple family cousin of a domed pie once baked only for weddings and Easter.<\/p>\n

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Prep time<\/span>30 min<\/strong><\/div>\n
Total time<\/span>2 h 30 min<\/strong><\/div>\n
Makes<\/span>5 servings<\/strong><\/div>\nJump to the recipe \u2193<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\"Chicken<\/figure>\n

A domed pie for weddings and feast days<\/h2>\n

The traditional kurnik is a domed pie filled with chicken or turkey, best known in southern Russia and above all among the Don and Kuban Cossacks. It was baked for weddings and church feast days, and one wedding custom was to break the pie over the newlyweds' heads. The groom's pie was decorated with little human figures, the bride's with flowers.<\/p>\n

Inside, thin pancakes separated the layers of filling, which often included buckwheat porridge, and held the structure so a slice did not collapse. The name probably comes from the Russian word for chicken, though another story links it to the steam escaping through the hole in the top.<\/p>\n

From the wedding table to the family tea<\/h2>\n

Today kurnik is ordinary family food, and versions made with kefir dough skip the pancakes and the porridge. Chicken, onion and potato bake together under the lid, while the hole in the centre lets excess moisture escape. Keep the potato pieces no thicker than about 1 cm, because larger chunks can stay raw inside even when the pastry and chicken are done. A fuller-fat kefir makes the dough more tender, and about 1 teaspoon of baking powder can replace the \u00bd teaspoon of soda, though the pastry may be slightly less tender.<\/p>\n

Hot with sauce, or cold on a picnic<\/h2>\n

Before slicing, the baked pie can rest under a towel for about 20 minutes. Serve thick slices hot with a sour-cream, cheese or mushroom sauce, or set them out with pickles, sauerkraut and dill. Cooled slices can be wrapped for a picnic, and a slice goes just as well with a cup of tea. Chicken thigh fillet can also replace the breast for a juicier filling.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/trp-tag><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chicken and potato pie with kefir dough<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hour<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Chilling the dough <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hour<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>2 hours<\/span><\/span> hours<\/span> 30 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t
Servings <\/span>5<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print the recipe<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients<\/h3>

For the pastry<\/h4>