Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- All-purpose flour 420 g (3 1/2 cups), baking powder 1 tsp, fine sea salt 1 tsp
- Cold unsalted butter 200 g (14 tbsp), sour cream 200 g (1/2 cup +), 1 large egg
- Buckwheat groats 180 g (1 cup), water 480 ml (2 cups), butter 1 tbsp, salt 1/2 tsp
- Chicken thighs 900 g, onions 2 medium, cremini mushrooms 400 g, garlic 2 cloves
- Butter 2 tbsp + 3 tbsp, neutral oil 1 tbsp, black pepper, salt
- Chicken broth 360 ml (1 1/2 cups), flour 30 g (1/4 cup), sour cream 120 g (1/2 cup)
- Hard-boiled eggs 3, fresh dill and parsley
- Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk
- Optional: 4–6 thin blini (simple crepes) for layering
Do This
- 1) Make dough: cut butter into flour, salt, baking powder; mix in egg and sour cream; chill 30 minutes.
- 2) Cook buckwheat in salted water 12–15 minutes; fluff with butter; cool.
- 3) Sauté onions and mushrooms; sear chicken; season well.
- 4) Make gravy: butter + flour + broth; whisk in sour cream; combine with filling, herbs, and chopped eggs.
- 5) Optional: Cook 4–6 thin blini to layer between filling.
- 6) Roll dough; mound filling on base (with or without blini); cap with top crust; seal, vent, egg wash.
- 7) Bake at 190°C/375°F for 55–65 minutes until deeply golden; rest 15–20 minutes before slicing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic festive Kurnik with a tender, buttery sour-cream crust and a domed, celebratory shape.
- Juicy chicken, savory mushrooms and onions, and nutty buckwheat bound with a silky sour-cream gravy.
- Option to add thin blini layers for extra structure and moisture, just like traditional versions.
- Great make-ahead centerpiece that slices cleanly and feeds a crowd.
Grocery List
- Produce: 2 medium yellow onions, 400 g cremini mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, fresh dill, fresh parsley
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, full-fat sour cream, milk (for egg wash and optional blini), eggs
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, buckwheat groats, low-sodium chicken broth, fine sea salt, black pepper, neutral oil, ground nutmeg (optional), boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 900 g)
Full Ingredients
Sour-Cream Dough
- All-purpose flour: 420 g (3 1/2 cups)
- Fine sea salt: 1 tsp
- Baking powder: 1 tsp
- Cold unsalted butter, cubed: 200 g (14 tbsp)
- Cold full-fat sour cream: 200 g (about 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
- Large egg: 1 (about 50 g)
- Ice water: 1–2 tbsp, only if needed
Buckwheat Layer
- Buckwheat groats: 180 g (1 cup)
- Water: 480 ml (2 cups)
- Fine sea salt: 1/2 tsp
- Unsalted butter: 1 tbsp
Mushroom-Chicken Filling
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1.5 cm cubes: 900 g
- Yellow onions, finely chopped: 2 medium (about 300 g)
- Cremini (or button) mushrooms, sliced: 400 g
- Garlic, minced: 2 cloves
- Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
- Neutral oil: 1 tbsp
- Fine sea salt: 1 1/4 tsp, divided (1/2 tsp for mushrooms, 3/4 tsp for chicken)
- Freshly ground black pepper: 1/2 tsp
- Hard-boiled eggs, chopped: 3 large
- Fresh dill, chopped: 2 tbsp
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped: 1 tbsp
Silky Sour-Cream Gravy
- Unsalted butter: 45 g (3 tbsp)
- All-purpose flour: 30 g (1/4 cup)
- Low-sodium chicken broth, warmed: 360 ml (1 1/2 cups)
- Full-fat sour cream: 120 g (1/2 cup)
- Fine sea salt: 1/4–1/2 tsp, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper: 1/2 tsp
- Ground nutmeg (optional): 1/8 tsp
Egg Wash & Finishing
- Large egg: 1
- Milk: 1 tbsp
- Pinch of salt
Optional: Thin Blini for Layering (makes 4–6)
- Milk: 240 ml (1 cup)
- Large eggs: 2
- Granulated sugar: 1 tsp
- Fine sea salt: 1/4 tsp
- All-purpose flour: 125 g (1 cup)
- Unsalted butter, melted: 1 tbsp
- Neutral oil, for the pan
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the buttery sour-cream dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size bits. Whisk the egg with the sour cream and drizzle over the flour-butter mixture. Stir with a fork just until clumps form; add 1–2 tbsp ice water only if the dough seems dry. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface for 20–30 seconds until it comes together. Divide into two pieces (about 2/3 for the base and 1/3 for the top), pat into discs, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cook and cool the buckwheat
Rinse the buckwheat under cool water. Bring 480 ml (2 cups) water to a boil with 1/2 tsp salt, stir in the buckwheat, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 12–15 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed. Off heat, stir in 1 tbsp butter, fluff with a fork, and spread on a tray to cool quickly.
Step 3: Sauté mushrooms and onions; sear the chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and 1 tbsp butter. Sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt; cook 7–8 minutes until their liquid evaporates and edges brown. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds. Scrape into a large mixing bowl. Return the pan to medium-high, add the remaining 1 tbsp butter, then the chicken. Season with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and sear 4–5 minutes until just opaque on the outside (it will finish in the oven). Tip the chicken and any juices into the bowl with the mushrooms.
Step 4: Make the gravy and bring the filling together
In the same pan over medium heat, melt 45 g (3 tbsp) butter. Whisk in 30 g (1/4 cup) flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until lightly blond. Gradually whisk in the warm broth; simmer 2–3 minutes until smooth and slightly thick. Off heat, whisk in 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream, black pepper, and nutmeg (if using). Taste and season with 1/4–1/2 tsp salt. Pour the gravy over the mushroom-chicken mixture. Add the cooled buckwheat, chopped eggs, dill, and parsley, folding gently to keep the buckwheat intact. Let the filling cool for 10 minutes so it doesn’t melt the dough.
Step 5: Optional — cook thin blini for layering
If using blini, whisk the milk, eggs, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the flour until smooth, then the melted butter. Lightly oil a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 4–6 very thin blini (about 18–20 cm each), 30–45 seconds per side, just until set. Cool on a rack. These will help catch juices and create neat layers inside the kurnik.
Step 6: Roll the dough and assemble the dome
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F with a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack. Line a second baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger dough disc into a 33 cm (13 in) circle. Transfer to the parchment-lined sheet. If using blini, lay one in the center. Spoon the filling into a tall mound (about 20–22 cm/8–9 in diameter and 6–7 cm/2.5–3 in high). If using blini, alternate: blini, filling, blini, filling, finishing with a blini on top. Roll the smaller dough disc to about 28 cm (11 in). Drape it over the mound.
Step 7: Seal, vent, bake, and rest
Fold the base dough up over the top and crimp to seal well. Cut a 1 cm steam vent in the very top. Whisk the egg with milk and a pinch of salt; brush the entire surface. Optionally use scraps to add simple leaf or braid decorations and brush again. Slide the sheet onto the preheated baking sheet and bake 55–65 minutes until a deep golden-brown crust forms and juices bubble at the vent. The center should reach at least 74°C/165°F. Rest 15–20 minutes before slicing so layers set and slices cut cleanly.
Pro Tips
- Keep the dough cold at every stage; chill it briefly if it softens while assembling.
- Baking on a preheated sheet helps crisp the bottom crust and prevents sogginess.
- Let the filling cool slightly before assembly—hot filling can melt the fat in the dough.
- Blini layers are optional but add structure and soak up flavorful juices.
- Use dark cremini or a mix of wild mushrooms for deeper, woodsy flavor.
Variations
- Rice instead of buckwheat: Substitute 2 cups cooked long-grain rice for a milder flavor and softer texture.
- Mushroom-forward: Increase mushrooms to 600 g and reduce chicken to 600 g for a heartier vegetarian-leaning profile (still not fully vegetarian).
- Herb swap: Replace dill with tarragon for a French twist, or add a squeeze of lemon to the gravy for brightness.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Refrigerate leftovers, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Reheat slices on a parchment-lined sheet at 175°C/350°F for 12–18 minutes until warmed through and crisp. Freeze whole (unbaked) after assembling: wrap well and freeze up to 1 month; bake directly from frozen at 180°C/350°F for 75–90 minutes, tenting with foil if browning too fast. You can also freeze baked leftovers for up to 2 months; reheat at 165°C/325°F until hot. Make-ahead components: dough (up to 48 hours in the fridge or 1 month frozen) and cooked buckwheat/filling (up to 24 hours in the fridge).
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate for 1 of 10 servings: 620 calories; 33 g fat; 19 g saturated fat; 50 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 6 g sugars; 33 g protein; 820 mg sodium.
