Fancy Piroshki for Parties

1. Prepare the filling and set it aside; it can be customized to taste.

2. Chop one large onion finely and sauté it in a little oil until lightly softened.

3. Add 250-300 grams of ground meat and cook thoroughly.

4. Include two colored bell peppers, salt, black pepper, thyme, and some tomato paste; cook until done and ensure it's not too oily or tomato-heavy.

5. Optionally, add mushrooms to the filling.

6. For the dough, mix warm milk, sugar, and yeast together well.

7. If unsure about yeast viability, activate it first with a little warm water.

8. Add room-temperature eggs (one whole and one white), salt, and vegetable oil, then mix thoroughly.

9. Gradually incorporate flour in two or three stages until the dough comes together, mixing with a hand mixer if possible and finishing by hand.

10. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until it is soft and smooth; it will be somewhat sticky.

11. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour until it doubles in size.

12. After resting, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 35x50 cm.

13. Place cheese and filling on one half of the dough and roll it up.

14. Cut the other half of the dough into strips and braid every three strips together.

15. Arrange the braided dough strips over the rolled filling.

16. Transfer the assembled dough to a desired baking pan, shape it neatly, and let it rest covered for 15-20 minutes until it rises further.

17. Brush with egg wash mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds for decoration.

18. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes.

19. For a golden finish, broil the top of the bread at the end.

Tips

1. You can divide the dough into two parts to make smaller fancy piroshki.

2. Prepare the egg wash by mixing egg yolk with a little thick brewed saffron and some oil.