Go Back
Savory Bacon Pastries

Savory Bacon Pastries

Golden savory pastries made with a tender cottage-cheese and butter dough and filled with smoky bacon. This vintage version uses a wonderfully simple dough that can also be adapted for sweet fillings.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 20-24 pastries
Course: Snack
Cuisine: European
Calories: 230
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the dough
  • 250 g about 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 250 g 1 cup + 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • About 2 cups 250 g all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
For the bacon filling
  • 200 g 7 oz bacon, finely diced
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For finishing
  • 1 egg beaten, for brushing — optional

Method
 

  1. Place the cottage cheese and softened butter in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
  2. Add the baking soda and vinegar.
  3. Gradually work in the flour. The original recipe says to add enough flour to make a firm dough suitable for rolling, approximately 2 cups.
  4. Form the dough into a ball, cover, and refrigerate for 2–3 hours or longer.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Cook the diced bacon with the onion over medium heat until the bacon has rendered some of its fat and the onion is soft. Season with black pepper.
  6. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely.
  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately 3–4 mm (⅛ inch) thick.
  9. Cut the dough into circles approximately 8–10 cm (3–4 inches) across.
  10. Place a small spoonful of the cooled bacon filling in the center of each piece.
  11. Fold the dough over the filling to form a small half-moon or crescent. Press the edges firmly together to seal.
  12. Arrange the pastries on the prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with beaten egg if you want a glossy golden finish.
  13. Bake for approximately 18–22 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
  14. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This is not the usual yeast-dough pīrādziņi recipe. This particular vintage cookbook version uses 250 g cottage cheese and 250 g butter or margarine to make a rich, tender dough.
Flour is intentionally approximate. The original says to use enough flour for the dough to become stingra, veltnējama — firm and suitable for rolling — and gives roughly two glasses/cups as guidance.
The original does not provide a bacon-filling formula. It simply says the dough can be used to make pīrāgus ar ievārījumu vai speķi — pastries with jam or bacon. The bacon-and-onion quantities above are therefore a practical filling suggestion rather than measurements given in the cookbook.
The cookbook also suggests other uses: cut the dough into strips like cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, make jam-filled pastries, or roll strips of dough around marmalade or sausages.
Oven temperature and baking time aren't specified in the original excerpt, so 190°C / 375°F for 18–22 minutes is a modern baking guideline.