The original knish was created as a snack food in Eastern Europe—a thin pastry that encased a filling, making it easily transportable. In the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the 20th century, peddlers would put homemade knishes in their carts and sell them as a quick snack. In 1890, Yonah Schimmel, a Rabbi from Romania, began peddling his wife’s knishes in the streets of New York. By 1910, he opened a storefront, and after moving down the road a few years later, the knishery has remained in the same location ever since. Though they now make knishes with a variety of fillings, potato remains the most popular.

Yonah Schimmel’s recipe is a closely guarded secret; however, this adaptation based on the Saveur recipe is a close replica.

Now here’s the thing about knishes—I won’t lie to you, they are time-consuming to make, but they are insanely delicious to eat. So set aside a good three hours and get knish-making!

TIP: The mashed potato filling can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to use. You will have some mashed potato filling leftover—but that’s not a bad thing, is it?

INGREDIENTS:

For Potato Filling:

• 1.5 kilo large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper

For Dough:

• 190 g (1 1⁄2 cups) plain flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For Assembly:

• Freshly ground black pepper (or everything bagel seasoning)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

METHOD:

For the filling:

1. Cook the potatoes: Place potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water, add a tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Cook the onions: While the potatoes boil, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft (about 15 minutes). Avoid browning them too much.
3. Combine the filling: Mash the potatoes with a masher, or press through a ricer. Add the sautéed onions to the mashed potatoes and mix to combine. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside to cool completely.

For the dough:

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the centre and add water and oil. Using a large spoon, gradually stir the flour into the liquid until a rough dough forms.
2. Knead the dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (about 5–10 minutes). Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with cling film, and set aside for 30 minutes.

For Assembly:

1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Heat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the egg wash: In a small bowl, beat together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
3. Divide the dough: Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball, keeping remaining dough covered to prevent drying out.
4. Roll the dough: Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one ball at a time into a 16cm (7-inch) circle on a lightly floured surface.
5. Fill the knish: Place about ¾ cup of the potato filling in the centre of the dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the sides, leaving the top exposed but overlapping the edges slightly to snugly encase the filling.
6. Transfer and repeat: Place each knish on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper or everything bagel seasoning. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
7. Bake the knishes: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until lightly golden.

Make Ahead:

Fully cooked and cooled knishes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month.
Do not reheat in the microwave as the pastry will become tough. Instead, reheat fully defrosted knishes in the oven at 180°C/350°F on the bottom shelf for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. (Timing will depend on how cold they are when going into the oven.)