Place bacon in a heavy non stick pan and sauté over medium low heat until the bacon fat starts to render (melt). Add onions and continue to cook until the onions are translucent, and the liquid released from the bacon has evaporated.

Once the bacon and onion mixture has finished cooking, taste it and season with pepper and salt as necessary.

Leave this mixture to cool completely while you are making the dough.

In a small saucepan add milk, water, butter, and sugar. Warm over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved into the milk. Do not bring to the boil.

When the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm whisk through a beaten egg.

Place flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk mixture, and stir to bring the ingredients together.

KNEADING BY HAND: Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, around 5 - 10 minutes.

KNEADING BY ELECTRIC MIXER: Using a dough hook knead dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Place dough into a clean lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave the dough to rise, around 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven 180? (360?). Line 2 baking trays.

Pull off a walnut size piece of dough from the dough. Work the dough piece into a ball in your hand then tease it out to a circle.

Place a teaspoon of the bacon mixture in the middle of the dough circle, and bring the edges of the dough together.

Pinch the edges together with your fingers sealing the bun well. Shape into a torpedo or more traditional crescent shape and place on a prepared baking tray.

Leave 3cm / ¾ inch between each piragi.

Mix egg yolks and olive oil together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash mixture over the top of the buns.

Place buns in the oven and bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. Rotate trays halfway through baking for even browning.

Once out of the oven place on a cooling rack.

STORE IN FRIDGE: Store piragi in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days. Reheat in the oven before serving (160?/320?)

STORE IN FREEZER: Piragi can be frozen for up to three months in the freezer.