Kolaches
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- ¼ounce (1 packet) dry yeast
- 1cup whole milk, lukewarm (110 to 115 degrees)
- ¼cup granulated sugar
- 3cups all-purpose flour (about 420 grams), more for kneading
- 12tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 2large eggs
- 1teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil, as needed
- 1cup dried apricots, prunes or other dried fruit
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 8ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼cup granulated sugar
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1large egg yolk
- ½teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅛teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Pastry
For the Dried Fruit Filling
For the Cream Cheese Filling
For the Crumble Topping (posypka):
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
437 calories; 23 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 279 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Make the pastry: In a large bowl, combine the yeast, milk, sugar and 1 cup flour. Mix well, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in the eggs and salt. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of flour; the dough will be soft and moist. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to make a soft workable dough. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, make your choice of filling.
- Step 3
Make the dried-fruit filling: Place the fruit in a small saucepan and add ½ cup water or just enough to cover. Set aside until plumped and softened, about 1 hour. When the fruit is ready, add the sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Purée in a food processor or blender and set aside.
- Step 4
Make the cream cheese filling: Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, egg yolk and lemon zest. Mix to blend and set aside.
- Step 5
After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide evenly into 12 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and place on an oiled baking sheet several inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly so it is about 3 inches in diameter. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare the crumble topping.
- Step 6
For the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Crumble with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
- Step 7
To assemble and bake the kolaches: With your finger, gently make an indentation in the center of each bun, being careful not to flatten too much. Fill with 1 tablespoon of filling and sprinkle with topping. Bake until risen and pale gold, 12 to 15 minutes. While baking, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. When the kolaches are removed from the oven, brush with melted butter and serve warm.
Private Notes
Comments
Lovely pastry. I put cream cheese on mine, but then also added a dollop of premade apricot marmalade. Outstanding. The recipe says that the dough balls are to be a few inches apart on a single sheet pan, but I could only fit half that way, so I used two pans. This resulted in single danish-like pastries, not the cinnamon roll-type, smushed together pastries like in the photo. Mine also didn't rise much in the oven, so they are a bit flat, but still delicious.
This recipe is almost foolproof and is very consistent! I love the tender and slightly sweet flavor. I weigh the dough and divide by 12. It's usually a 75-80 gram/roll result. I have good luck using a half sheet rimmed baking sheet and silicone baking mat. I have also made the dough through to the shaping step and proofed the rolls overnight in the fridge. Next morning, pull out while heating oven and preparing fillings, and bake as normal.
I made these for my mother's funeral as she never wrote down her kolache recipe before she passed. Using her notes in a cookbook, I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon and a scant 1/2 tsp lemon peel to the dough. The dough is wonderful to work with as it kneads up satiny and plush. While they were not as good as my mother's (she was a wonderful baker) they came close.
These were a big hit (I was feeding a crowd). Pretty easy to make and came out looking fancy without much trouble! I made 2 batches - one was a double batch, and I used quick rising yeast but followed the recipe directions and they rose beautifully. Made a single batch with regular active yeast and rising times exceeded those in the directions a bit. Both batches I found I had to add a LOT of flour during the kneading to made it a workable dough. Like 1/2 c or more for a single batch. I may have been expecting a different texture, like bread.? I’ll try again and just let it be sticker and see what happens after rising. A video or photos would’ve been useful there! For the filling I just used jam I had in one batch and a lemon filling in the other. It’s a very versatile recipe.
I had some Meyer lemon curd I was looking to use up; I combined that with the cream cheese, some lemon zest, and a bit of flour for the filling. They baked up GARGANTUAN compared to the little ones my step-grandmother made, but tasted pretty good. I wish the filling to pastry recipe was closer to hers. These were a bit tough to bite because of their hugeness and breadier than I am used to, more like a bun. Maybe next time I will have them make 24 instead of 12.
I made these for my mother's funeral as she never wrote down her kolache recipe before she passed. Using her notes in a cookbook, I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon and a scant 1/2 tsp lemon peel to the dough. The dough is wonderful to work with as it kneads up satiny and plush. While they were not as good as my mother's (she was a wonderful baker) they came close.