Russian baked buns with beef and cabbage filling (Pirozhki)

1. Warm the milk to lukewarm, dissolve the sugar and yeast in it and leave to froth for 10 minutes. Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl, add the yeast milk, egg and melted butter and knead for 8-10 minutes into a soft, elastic dough; cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.

2. Meanwhile make the filling: finely chop the onion and slice the cabbage into thin strips. Soften the onion in the oil in a frying pan for 3 minutes, add the mince and fry for 7-8 minutes, breaking it up.

3. Add the cabbage, season with the remaining salt and the pepper and braise covered for 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft; uncover to cook off the liquid, then let it cool completely (warm filling will make the dough fall apart).

4. Divide the risen dough into 16 pieces, press each into a palm-sized round, put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the middle, pinch the edges together and place seam-side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

5. Cover and leave to rise for another 20 minutes; preheat the oven to 190 °C. Brush the buns with the beaten egg yolk and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

6. Serve warm or lukewarm, perhaps with a bowl of borscht or clear soup.

Tip: Pirozhki are a favourite of Russian street food and home cooking alike: baked in the oven they are lighter, fried in oil (as at railway-station stalls) they are crispier; the filling can also be cabbage, potato and mushroom, or egg and spring onion.