Karelian Pies

For the filling, rinse the rice, cover it with 250 ml water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed, then pour in the milk, add 0.5 tsp salt and simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the porridge from the heat, stir in 20 g butter and let it cool completely for 30 minutes.

For the dough, combine 225 ml cold water, 1 tsp salt, rye flour and wheat flour. Knead a firm, smooth dough, cover it and let rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll each into a ball, then roll out each ball into a very thin oval about 15 cm in diameter. Keep the finished rounds covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out.

Place about 2 tbsp of the cooled rice porridge in the center of each round, leaving about 1 cm of bare dough around the edges.

Fold the opposite edges of the dough toward the center, leaving the filling exposed, and pinch the edges into tight, neat pleats along the oval pie.

Preheat the oven to 275–300°C. Transfer the pies to a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges turn golden.

Melt the remaining butter, mix it with 100 ml warm water and quickly dip each hot pie into this mixture. Stack the pies on top of each other, cover with a towel for 10 minutes, and serve warm.