Dough prep: If your yeast is stored in the freezer, take it out in advance, place it in a bowl, and let it thaw at room temperature. Add 1 tsp of sugar and 100 ml of warm water, mix, and leave to activate. In 10–20 minutes, you’ll see active movement – the mixture will “come alive” with thin streams of bubbles. Slightly warm the milk and dissolve the salt and honey in it. You can replace the honey with a heaped tablespoon of sugar if you prefer. Sift the flour into a bowl, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, the milk mixture, and the activated yeast. Knead the dough. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour if it sticks to your hands too much. Alternatively, knead it by slapping it onto the work surface about 30 times (or more). The dough will become elastic and stop sticking. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with a towel, and leave it in a warm place to rise. You can also place it in an electric oven at around 30°C for 45 minutes. The dough should at least double in size. Knead the dough again and leave it in a warm place for another 30 minutes.

Pampushki prep: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Dust your work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a “log” and cut it into equal portions. The number of portions will determine how many pampushky you’ll have. Roll each portion into a ball. Grease a baking dish with vegetable oil and arrange the dough balls in it. Let them rest for 15 minutes without covering them with a towel. Brush the tops of the pampushky with vegetable oil. Place the dish into the preheated oven. The approximate baking time is 10–13 minutes, but keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t overbake.

Garlic topping: Finely chop the herbs. Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press. In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp of vegetable oil, 50 ml of cooled boiled water, a pinch of salt, the crushed garlic, and the chopped herbs. Mix well. The topping is ready. When the pampushky are done, remove them from the oven. Pour the garlic topping evenly over the hot pampushky and let them soak up the flavours.