Top 7 Russian Baked Goods

Imagine walking into your favorite bakery on a crisp winter morning. The sweet aromas of sugar and spice, combined with steamy hot dough, flavorful fillings and mouthwatering toppings. What can be more comforting? Enjoying your favorite bread or pastry with a cup of truly magnificent tea. It’s the Russian way.

Uniquely baked breads and bagels have been a staple of Russian cuisine for centuries. You’ve probably heard of pirozhki and blini, but what about a traditional Russian pryanik, sushki or vatrushka?

If you have a soft spot for quality baked goods, we’ve got a delicious list of the top seven Russian baked goods you MUST try.

Bublik

What is it: a bublik is the Russian answer to the American bagel. Bubliks are slightly larger with a wider hole, but just like its American cousin, they are boiled before being baked.

What is tastes like: bubliki are denser and have a chewier texture than bagels. They are usually served whole and dipped into jams, fruit confits or sour cream. Traditionally eaten as a mid-day snack with a cup of tea, its rare to find a bublik for breakfast.

Kulich

What is it: tall, semi-sweet, cylinder-shaped bread with a small dome that’s topped with a sugar glaze and decorated with sprinkles. This traditional Eastern Orthodox bread is usually eaten during Easter.

What it tastes like: kulich is a soft, dense, semi-sweet egg bread, baked with raisins and topped with a sweet glaze. Authentic kuliches stay soft and fresh for nearly the entire week leading up to Easter.

Sushki

What is it: small, crispy dried bagel rings that are traditionally eaten as a snack, and often served with tea.

What it tastes like: mildly sweet and crunchy, these little bagel rings taste like perfectly toasted tiny bagels. They come in different shapes and sizes, often strung on a string. You can find sushki flavored with vanilla, or sprinkled with poppy seeds.

Blini

What is it: thin, crepe-like pancakes made from unleavened dough. Blini are traditionally topped (or stuffed) with sweet or savory toppings like minced meat, cheese, caviar, fresh fruit or fruit preserves. And almost always garnished with a sliver of butter or sour cream.

What it tastes like: light and airy, blinis are slightly more savory than crepes, and have a bit more body. They are often rolled with meat, or tvorog (farmer cheese). But the ultimate Russian luxury are blini with caviar.

Pirozhki

What is it: doughy pastry pockets filled with potatoes, meat, cabbage, cheese, fruit or jams.

What it tastes like: depending on your mood, they can be either sweet or savory. With pirozhki, the dough is the true star — and the fillings play a supporting role. Traditional pirozhki are glazed with egg-wash and baked in the oven. There are also deep fried pirozhki, which have a deliciously decadent flavor.

Pryanik

What is it: spicy gingerbread made with honey and sometimes filled with jam or condensed milk. The Russian city of Tula is famous for their Tula Pryanik. Baked into a rectangle, the Tula pryanik features intricate designs and usually has the word TULA stamped or engraved onto the front.

What it tastes like: slightly spicy, plenty sweet, and absolutely wholesome, a Russian pryanik is the ultimate companion to a cup of gourmet tea. This dessert has been entrenched in Russian cuisine for centuries. In fact, it’s so special that in Tula there is an entire museum dedicated to this sweet little gingerbread.

Vatrushka

What is it: pronounced vah-troosh-ka, it’s a fresh baked bun filled with sweetened farmer cheese. These Russian danishes are are a delicious breakfast delight.

What it tastes like: plump, sweet and fragrant, vatrushkas taste best right out of the oven. They are usually eaten as a breakfast pastry, or a mid afternoon snack with a cup of tea.