A number of the recipes on this site use a simple dough to encase other ingredients.  In the source materials the composition of this "dough" is often vague if it mentions how to make it all.  Some choose to  interpret this as a yeast based dough or as a pie crust style. 

We have often used this recipe for our dough, particularly when the recipe calls for a leaf made with eggs.

I learned it for pierogi but it works very nicely for any boiled filled dumpling or filled pasta such as ravioli.  We also use it for small pastries that are fried after filling.  It also works very well as a simple egg noodle. While this recipe call for the dough to be cut into rounds, you can cut it into any shape your recipe calls for.

Below is an exact transcription of my mother-in-law's recipe that she had from her grandmother who immigrated to the US as an adult around the turn of the 20^th century, making it documentably well over 100 years old.

 If you are using this for filled pasta or dumplings remember to make fillings first, once the dough is made and has rested you need to work quickly.

Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup of water

      1)      Mound flour onto a clean surface and make a well in the center

2)      Drop eggs and salt into well, add water.  Working from the center to the outside of the mound, mix flour into liquid with one hand and keep flour mounded with other hand.  Knead until dough is firm and well mixed.

3)      Cover dough with a warm bowl and let it rest 10 minutes.

4)      Divide dough in half.  On floured board roll half dough as thin as possible.  (Keep other half covered with bowl, dough loses moisture quickly and won't roll well for you)

5)      When you have rolled the larger circle of dough, make 3" rounds  (I use a floured glass edge) along the whole circle and put a small spoonful of filling, a little off center, into each circle.  Moisten circle edge with water, fold over and seal edges with a fork. (I puncture the tops of the pierogi with different designs to identify the different fillings)

6)      Drop pierogi into boiling salted water (I do not use salt in the water.)  Cook gently 3-5 minutes, or until pierogi float. Never put too many pierogi into the water, the uncooked will stick together and the cooked will get lumpy and tough.

7)      Lift out of water with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels approx. 2 minutes. Place on greased cookie sheet and keep warm in oven (low) or may be reheated in buttered skillet (slow and low)

Makes approx. 1 1/2 - 2 dozen

Recipes using this dough

Kraphen of Apples and Nuts

Chicken Dumplings

Ravioli

Some hints to using this dough.

Roll as thin as will stand up to handling. Some sources speak of pierogi dough so thin the filling can be seen through it.

Once you have cut out your rounds or other shapes, the scraps may be re-rolled once. The second batch will be slightly tougher. Any remaining scraps I simply set aside to dry and use as free form noodles in soups. A third rolling makes the dough too tough to be palatable.

An alternative method to cutting your shapes is to portion the dough in small balls and simple roll each on separately. 

When using this for a filled application like dumplings, always make the filling first.