Kulebyaka

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Note: The weight of dough should be a third of the weight of filling(s). Different fillings are separated in layers by blinis (crepes). Kulebyaka's shape is a long thin rectangle. When you cut this rectangle into portions, each portion should include each kind of filling. One of the fillings is considered the main one, and decides the pie's name: it can be meat(s), in which case the name is meat kulebyaka. It can be fish, then it's fish kulebyaka, mushrooms for mushroom kulebyaka, etc. This is a very old Russian pie, and its name comes from the old Russian expression "to knead dough". It's made with fermented dough, with several layers of varying fillings, either by themselves or mixed together with meat, fish, viziga (a part of sturgeon that goes along the spine), mushrooms, porridge of various kinds of grain, onions, hardboiled eggs, etc. Generally, a kulebyaka is a closed pie with multiple fillings in the pie in layers separated by crepes. The elongated shape was purposeful, to ensure thorough cooking of all the ingredients, as well as the assurance that, should a slice be traded, each slice will contain a hearty portion of the fillings. In Moscow, kulebyaki (plural of kulebyaka in Russian) were famed not just for the fillings, but also for their shapes and variety of form. The pies were made closed, open, half-open, multilayered, and even very tall. There was even a special kind, called hlebalny, which had liquid fillings, and was served open with spoons like a bread bowl. The dough should be stretchy and springy, akin to pizza dough, so the main filling didn't start entering the other layers, nor began to seep into the pie crust. It can be porous or solid, with or without butter, and with milk or meat bouillon added. It's rolled so that, once cooked it's only 1/3" (1 cm) thick. Once the rectangular dough is rolled, the fillings are added in layers, and afterwards the dough is pinched lengthwise along the top, then flipped. Prior to baking, eggs, sour cream or butter should be smeared on the outside of the pie, and the pie should be poked through in a few spots to allow release of pressure before going into the oven. Kulebyaki became popularized in the 19th century when French chefs and confectioners who had made it in Russia brought their own spin to the recipe, with a lighter, "French dough" and new fillings like sturgeon, salmon, rice, champignons, and wild game. At the same time, the recipe's traditional Russian cooking steps were respected, ensuring they were and remain kulebyaki. In Russia, kulebyaki were served at the table after the soup, but before the main dish and desserts.