sloyka - ukrainian savory pastry

Sloyka makes me think of my university days, especially sloyka with mushrooms. It really kept me going and helped make lectures and exams a bit more tolerable. 

I studied at the Poltava Technical University which is surrounded by parks and is a bit inconvenient to get to. Because of its secluded location running to the supermarket or a kiosk between classes was not an option. But there was a Kulynychi or Kulinichi (Ukrainian: Кулиничі) bakery right outside which made for the (nearly) only source of warm food available. The other source was the university's own tiny cafeteria and a kiosk that sported a rather scarce and non-vegetarian-friendly selection of snacks and lunch dishes. This was where I got sausage rolls. 

Because Kulynychi, a popular and beloved chain of bakeries in Eastern Ukraine, actually had vegetarian pastry it remained my favorite place to spend my money. 

When I think about it, I haven't had a sloyka in about 8 years and I have pretty much forgotten about its existence. So now it is time to revive it!

This is why today's recipe is of the most basic and easiest sloyka imaginable, one using store-bought puff pastry. 

The end result looks different than Kulynychi's product but the combination of such Ukrainian staples as (vegan) butter, mushrooms, and dill really hit the spot. 

Tips and notes:

• Make sure to use butter to fry the mushrooms, it will give the end result a nice and subtle creamy consistency. Otherwise, the pastry will be too dry. 
• You can follow my instructions for cutting the puff pastry or you can experiment and use your own technique of covering the mushrooms. 
• Use fresh dill for best results. 

Sloyka - Ukrainian Savory Pastry