Potato Knish Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My wonderfully savory Potato Knish Recipe is the ideal comfort food on a chilly night. Fluffy, seasoned mashed potatoes and caramelized onions are wrapped in tender pastry and baked until deep golden brown. If you’re looking for a Hanukkah nosh or simply a budget-friendly, stick-to-your-ribs meal, side dish, or a hearty snack that’s perfect for winter, you’ll adore this irresistible treat!  

• Savory pastry. Let’s be real—everything’s better wrapped in pastry! This dough is rolled thin and bakes up into a delectably flaky, tender, just crispy enough pastry. And you can make the dough by hand: you don’t need a special machine like a stand mixer with a dough hook.
• Hearty filling. Buttery sautéed onions and aromatic, lemony thyme enhance piping hot, plush potato filling. 
• A portable meal! This is not your average grab-and-go meal! Homemade potato knishes are just as convenient to reheat and eat as store-bought hot pockets, but they are a million times more wholesome and delicious.

I didn’t grow up eating potato knishes in Ireland, but it was a revelation when I finally bit into this traditional Eastern European Jewish specialty. A knish combines two of my favorite foods—pastry and potatoes—beautifully!  I thought it would be fun to come up with my own spin on the classic dish, and whether you are a knish connoisseur or they’re new to you, I know you’ll love them too! For more potato goodness, check out my recipes for Authentic Potato Farls, Potato and Rosemary Soufflé, and Potato and Cheddar Pastries. 

Table of Contents

• What is a Potato Knish?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make this Potato Knish Recipe
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Savory Pastry Recipes

What is Potato Knish?

• The Potato Knish Recipe was popularized by Eastern European Jewish immigrants who came to New York City in the late 19th century and brought foods from their homelands, including challah bread, hamantaschen, and rugelach. Knish is a savory food consisting of a thin sheet of pastry, traditionally made with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), that’s wrapped around a filling, The pastry is baked to a golden brown.
• No one knows precisely when knishes originated, but they were first sold by Yonah Schimmel in 1910. This hot, carby nosh (snack) was filling, warming, economical, and could be eaten on the go. The classic potato knish became a NYC symbol, along with bagels and babka.  Schimmel’s Knish Bakery is still open, and knishes are available throughout the city in delis, diners, and street carts. 
• Traditional knish fillings are potato and kasha (buckwheat groats, which are the hulled seeds). They are typically shaped in a round shape and baked. Over the years, bakers have unleashed their creativity, and today, even Yoah Schimmel’s, the country’s oldest knishery, sells broccoli, sweet potato, and apple cream cheese varieties!

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Whisk
• Cling wrap
• Large pot
• Steamer basket
• Frying pan
• Wooden spoon
• Potato masher
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin
• Pastry brush
• Ruler
• Knife

Key Ingredients and Why

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour, with a protein content of 9-11%, gives the pastry enough strength to hold the knish together while still having a tender texture. 

Baking powder

• Baking powder contributes to the pastry’s texture.
• Baking powder contains cream of tartar and baking soda. It reacts with vinegar to create carbon dioxide bubbles, making the pastry shell flaky.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors, ensuring that the pastry doesn’t taste bland.

Warm water

• Warm water makes the pastry dough more pliable by slowing the gluten activation so the dough isn’t overly elastic. 

Vegetable oil

• For ease and because it’s readily available, I use vegetable oil here instead of schmaltz.
• Vegetable oil creates a soft dough that’s easy to work with.

Egg

• Egg gives the dough structure. 
• Additionally, egg provides moisture, rich flavor, and color.
• Brush egg wash, an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water, during assembly to help seal the dough, and brush on the knishes before baking to give them a glossy, golden sheen. 

Vinegar

• Vinegar works with the baking powder to make a flaky pastry shell.
• Importantly, vinegar inhibits gluten formation, which keeps the pastry from being tough. 

Butter

• In the pastry, the water in butter creates steam during baking, which contributes to the flakiness.  
• In the filling, the butter provides a rich flavor that enhances the potato and onion.

Russet potatoes

• Russet potatoes yield the best results here because they have a high starch content. This means your filling will be fluffy and smooth.

Onion

• Onion elevates the filling, adding a savory, deep taste to the neutral potato flavor. Yellow onion is the most popular type to use in this recipe.
• Caramelizing the onion brings out its sweetness. Take the time to cook the onion slowly, as this really makes a difference.  

Olive oil

• Olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, so sautéeing the onions in a mixture of the two ensures that they won’t burn.
• Additionally, olive oil adds a subtly fruity flavor.

Thyme

• Warm, lemony thyme is a wonderfully bright accent in the filling. 

How to Make this Potato Knish Recipe

Make the knish dough

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, oil, egg, and vinegar.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until a dough forms.
4. Knead the butter into the dough until smooth. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Make the potato filling

5. In a large pot, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. Insert the steamer with the potatoes.
6. Place the lid on the pot and steam for 30 minutes until tender.
7. Over low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, butter, and salt, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the pepper and thyme.
9. Add the potatoes to the onions in the frying pan and mash them until lump-free. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Assemble the knishes

10. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
11. Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 6×12-inch (15x30cm) rectangle. Brush the long end with egg wash.
12. Working with the long edge of the dough rectangle in front of you, place half of the filling one inch away from the long end closest to you.
13. Roll the dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) log. 

14. Using a ruler and your finger, make a dent in the log every 2 inches (5 cm). Use a sharp knife to cut the log where the dents were made.

15. Working with one knish at a time, place it cut side down on the parchment. Pinch the dough on the top and twist to seal.

Bake the knishes

16. Brush the knishes with egg wash and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until deep golden brown.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Caramelizing onions brings out their natural sweetness and depth of flavor, but it can take a long time.
  • Turning up the heat will only burn the onions before they caramelize.
  • Give yourself enough time with this recipe to properly cook the onions.
  • They don’t take a lot of monitoring, though, so you can easily make the dough and steam the potatoes at the same time.
• The thyme is not traditional but gives a nice flavor. You could also use chives or any dried spices of your choice that you like on potatoes.
• Schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) can be used in place of the butter in the filling and the dough to make it dairy-free.
• If you wish, sprinkle the knishes with sesame seeds or kosher salt before baking.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make ahead tips

• The dough and filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.
• The potato filling can be made up the day before.
• The fully assembled knishes can be made and refrigerated one day ahead of time before baking.
• You can wrap the assembled, unbaked knishes well and freeze for up to 4 weeks. 

How to store leftovers

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. 
• Reheat at 300°F (150°C) oven for about 15 minutes.

FAQs

How do I keep the filling from being too heavy?

• It’s essential to use a starchy potato here as waxy potatoes aren’t fluffy and won’t mash up smoothly, creating a heavy, pasty filling. 
• Russets are the best choice, and Yukon Gold is the next starchiest. Red potatoes and fingerling potatoes are waxy and don’t work well here.

Can I make this Potato Knish Recipe without egg?

• Yes, you can make this Potato Knish Recipe without egg. 
• In the pastry, an egg substitute like a flax egg or yogurt can be substituted. For ideas and directions, see my guide to The 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes 
• In place of the egg wash, you can brush the knishes with olive oil or melted butter. 

How do I ensure the pastry doesn’t tear when assembling the knishes?

• Roll the dough to only to a 6×12 inch (15×30 cm) rectangle. Any thinner will make the dough too fragile.
• Take care not to overfill the knish. Twist and seal the dough well to seal so that the filling doesn’t leak out.

More Savory Pastry Recipes

• Irish Sausage Rolls
• Spinach and Ricotta Savory Pop Tarts
• Complete Breakfast Tart Recipe
• Mushroom Galette Recipe
• Simple Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Try These Recipes!

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Creamy Chicken Cobbler with Mushrooms

$5 Gourmet Pizza Recipe

Flakiest Laminated Biscuits