Czech Kolache Food

KOLACHE/KOLACKY

Steps:

• In a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup milk. If using instant yeast, do not dissolve it yet-- reserve.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the remaining milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and, if using, zest and/or mace. Blend in 1½ cups flour. If using instant yeast, add it now.
• Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a workable dough.
• On a lightly floured surface or in a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes.
• Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.
• Cover with a kitchen towel or loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
• Punch down the dough, knead briefly, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1¼ hours.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheet. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, divide in half, form into balls, and let stand for 10 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ½ inch thick. Cut into 2½-inch rounds. Reroll and cut out the scraps.
• Place on parchment paper-lined or greased baking sheets about 1 inch apart, cover with a towel or plastic wrap spritzed with cooking spray, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F for a convection oven). Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press 1 large or 2 smaller deep indentations into the center of each round, leaving a ½-inch wide-rim. Brush the edges with the egg wash.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon topping into the indentation and, if using, sprinkle lightly with the posipka.
• Bake until golden brown or the center of the dough registers about 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.Kolache are best eaten on the same day they are made, but can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days on in freezer for up to 3 months.

SWEET KOLACHE RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare Fillings and topping desired and set aside until ready to use.
• For Posypka Topping mix all ingredients together until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• For Poppyseed Filling Combine poppyseeds, sugar and milk, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.
• Add butter, then flour which has been dissolved in a little bit of water.
• Cook, stirring constantly until poppyseed is done, at least 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool before use.
• Leftover filling can be frozen.
• For Cabbage Filling Fry the cabbage in the butter until soft.
• Add the salt, black pepper, sugar and flour, and fry until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
• For Prune Filling Place the prunes in a bowl and cover them completely with boiling water.
• Let them sit overnight (or at least 6 hours) to rehydrate.
• Drain the liquid off and mash prunes thoroughly with a fork or run them through a food processor.
• Add the cinnamon, sugar, and lemon zest.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Fills 24 kolaches.
• For Apricot Filling Cook a 10 ounce package of dried apricots slowly in enough water to cover until fruit is soft and water is cooked out.
• Do not cover or fruit turns dark.
• Add 1 1/2 cups sugar or more to taste and mash with a potato masher until well blended.
• Filling for about 2 dozen kolaches.
• For Cottage Cheese Filling Mix all ingredients together until blended.
• If cheese is too moist, add very finely rolled crackers, about 10 or 12 to absorb liquid.
• If using country-style cottage cheese, cream cheese can be omitted or used for added flavor, according to taste.
• If using cottage cheese as a filling, be sure to enclose cheese in the dough.
• Spread dough balls out, place cheese in the middle and pinch all sides together to seal completely.
• Place sealed side down on the greased pan and butter the pastry.
• Let rise until light, sprinkle with topping and bake.
• For cream Cheese Filling Soften the cream cheese.
• Beat remaining ingredients together with cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
• Filling for about 2 dozen kolaches.
• To Make Dough And assemble Kolaches Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water in a tall glass, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and set aside to proof.
• In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter, add egg yolks and salt and mix well.
• Add the dissolved yeast, 1 cup of the flour and mix slowly with an electric mixer.
• Add the milk and continue adding as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a wooden spoon.
• Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough.
• Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl, turn once to grease surface.
• Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Pinch off egg size portions and roll into a ball using the palm of your hands in circular motion.
• Place about 1 inch apart on greased pans.
• Brush kolaches with melted butter, cover with a cloth and let rise until light, about 1 hour.
• Use your fingers to make an indentation in each ball and fill each opening with about 1 tablespoon of filling.
• Sprinkle with posypka topping (optional) and let rise again for 20 minutes.
• Bake in a preheated 425ºF oven for about 10-15 minutes.
• Brush kolaches with melted butter as they come out of the oven.

CZECH KOLACHE

Steps:

• Pour yeast into 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside to soak.
• In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup melted shortening and 2 cups sifted flour. Beat well. Add in 2 beaten eggs and yeast mixture and mix well. Set aside to rest until bubbly and spongy.
• Add 3 1/2 cups of flour and blend well. Set aside to rise for 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again for 1 hour.
• To Make Filling: Beat together 2 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons flour and 1 cup of raisins. Add cottage cheese and mix well.
• Pinch off 1 inch balls from dough and press an indentation in the center of each. Put filling in. Let rise 15 minutes, then bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) until golden - 12-18 minutes.

KLOBASNEK (SAUSAGE KOLACHES)

Steps:

• Over medium heat, warm the milk and 4 tablespoons of the butter until the milk is just beginning to steam, but is not boiling, and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Pour in the warm milk mixture and stir until a sticky dough has formed. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat together the oil and egg yolks. Pour the eggs into the flour mixture and blend until fully incorporated. Slowly stir in enough of the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour until the dough comes together and is soft but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth.
• Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 8 even-size pieces. In your hands, roll the pieces of dough into balls and then flatten them into disks 4 inches in diameter. In the center of each piece of dough, place 1/2 tablespoon of the cheddar cheese, 2 slices of jalapeño, and a piece of sausage. Fold one side of the dough over the other and roll, then seal by pinching on all sides. Place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart, seam side down. Cover and allow to rise for 45 more minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Brush the tops of the klobasneks with half the melted butter. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. After you remove them from the oven, brush each klobasnek with the remaining melted butter. Serve warm. They are best on the day they are made, but they can be tightly wrapped and then reheated, up to 2 days after baking. They can also be frozen.

KOLACHE

Steps:

• Warm ½ cup of milk until lukewarm (a few seconds in the microwave). Add sugar and yeast to milk and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Separate the egg whites, putting he yolks in a small bowl and whites in a stand mixer. Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Scoop into another bowl and set aside.
• Cream butter in a stand mixer. Add sugar and four egg yolks one at a time until incorporated.
• Add the egg whites to the butter, then add the yeast mixture, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Beat with a dough hook until the dough comes together and has an elastic quality but is still a bit runny. The dough it quite sticky, so you can coat your hands in flour and lift the dough from the bottom of the bowl and sprinkle more flour there then top the dough with a dusting of flour. You may wish to transfer to another bowl or leave it in the stand mixing bowl.
• Set dough in a warm spot to let rise for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, make the egg wash by mixing one egg yolk and 1 tbsp. of milk together in a small bowl. You may also prepare any additional filling and streusel topping if using (recipes below).
• When the dough has doubled, flour your hands (I find it helpful to have an extra bowl full of flour to dip my hands into when needed) and take the dough out by the tablespoonful. Roll into a ball with your hands, then press into a cookie shape, using fingers to make an indent in the center of the dough. You can do this while holding the dough or set the dough on a floured cutting board to do so.
• Grease a baking sheet and place the indented kolache with about ½-1 inch of space in between them. With a basting tool, coat the rounded edges of the kolache with the egg wash. This ensures that the dough has a beautiful golden-brown color.
• Fill the kolache with your fillings. Don't forget you can mix and match fillings as well! Try a lemon curd and cream cheese filling, or a raspberry jam, lemon curd, and cream cheese filling, get creative.
• Once all the kolaches are filled, sprinkle with streusel topping (recipe below) if using and let the kolache rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375. When the kolache have risen, bake for 10-15 minutes.
• Optionally, you can dust with powdered sugar immediately after taking out of the oven.

CZECH KOLACHE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat the milk until lukewarm. Pour the dry yeast and a teaspoon of sugar into the milk. The sugar will encourage the yeast to activate. Stir everything with a spoon and leave it in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes until foam forms on the surface.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter, which should be semi-liquid but not hot. Around 30 seconds in a microwave are ideal.
• Add the flour, sugar, salt into a mixing bowl. Add an egg, vanilla, melted butter, and activated yeast with milk.
• Begin with the dough. Roughly combine all ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface and use your hands to work it into a smooth elastic dough. If the dough is too sticky, dust it with a tablespoon of flour and continue kneading. Repeat until the dough is no longer sticky.
• Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into equal parts. If you have a kitchen scale and want kolache the same size, weigh each piece on the scale. The weight of a piece of dough for one pie is around 1 and ½ oz (45 g).
• Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Place it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Leave enough space between the balls so that the cakes don't touch and bake into a square later. The classic Czech kolach is round!
• Let the dough balls rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel if you leave the dough to rise on the kitchen counter.
• Time to shape kolache! We need to create a beautiful round kolach and create a depression in the center for the filling placement. Take a round-bottomed vessel about 3 inches in diameter, such a glass. I used a ½ measuring cup. Wrap the bottom with a clean dish towel so that there are no creases. Press the wrapped vessel evenly into the dough with light pressure from above. The kolach is stretched out wide and round, and an indentation is made in the middle for the filling.
• In a shallow bowl, beat an egg using a fork and create an egg wash. Brush it over the edges of the kolache pastries.
• Now, place the filling in the middle of each kolach. Just about 1 to 1.½ tablespoons per kolach are enough. If you like, sprinkle the cakes with streusel topping.
• Let's bake kolache! Preheat the oven to 340 °F (170 °C). Place the sheet with kolache in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

TEXAS KOLACHES

Steps:

• Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat to melt. Do not allow to brown. As soon as the butter has melted, add the milk and stir until blended. Set aside.
• Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
• Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and add the milk/butter mixture, as well as the egg and the egg yolk. Mix on low for about 1 minute, then, increase the speed to medium (#6 on Kitchenaid stand mixer) and knead for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, add about 3 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, grease a large bowl. You'll also need to arrange your oven racks so that you can fit the saucepan on the floor of the oven with a rack situated above it. Your large bowl will go on top of the rack. The bowl does not need to be oven-safe.
• Once the dough has finished kneading (it will soft and somewhat sticky), use floured hands to form it into a ball and transfer it the greased bowl. Place the saucepan of boiling water on the oven floor and the bowl on the rack above it. Close the oven door and allow the dough to proof for 1 - 1 1/2 hour, until it has doubled in size.
• Remove the bowl from the oven (leave the saucepan in) and punch down the dough. On a floured work surface, divide it into 4 equal pieces, and then divide each of those pieces into quarters. You should have 16 pieces of dough.
• Roll the dough into balls and transfer to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 to 3 inches apart. Close the oven door and allow to proof for 90 minutes.
• Remove both pans and the saucepan from the oven and preheat it to 350°F.
• Wrap each dough ball around a piece of sausage until it is fully enclosed and pinch to seal any seams.
• Place a piece of cheese in the center of a slice of ham and fold over/wrap the ham to enclose the cheese.
• Wrap each dough ball around the ham until it is fully enclosed and pinch to seal any seams.
• Place seam-side down on the baking sheet and bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden in color. Allow to cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!

CZECH KOLACHES WITH FILLED POPPY SEED, CREAMY PEACH, OR PRUNE

Steps:

• FOR THE PASTRY: In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the lukewarm water. Set the bowl aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, milk, and salt, combining well. Stir in the dissolved yeast and the flour, and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a soft dough. Cover the dough with a towel, and set the dough aside to rise to about double in size, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• While the dough rises, choose and prepare one of the three fillings.
• Grease a baking sheet. Pinch off pieces of dough about one and a half times the size of a golf ball, flatten the balls slightly, and transfer them to the baking sheet. Place the balls at least 1 inch apart, and brush them liberally with the melted butter. Set them aside to double in size again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• With your thumb, gently indent the top of the dough. Make the holes especially deep if you plan to use the poppyseed or creamy peach filling. Spoon in a couple of teaspoons of filling, and, with the poppyseed or creamy peach versions, coax the dough over the filling. Let the kolaches rest again for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F Bake the kolaches for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are golden brown.
• Remove the pan from the oven immediately brush the kolaches with more butter, and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar. Transfer them to a rack, and let them cool.
• The kolaches should be tender somewhat like a light butter Danish. They're best eaten the day they're made. Makes 3 dozen.
• FOR THE CREAMY PEACH FILLING: Drain the cottage cheese in a sieve or cheesecloth for 30 to 45 minutes. Squeeze any accumulated liquid from the cheese. Mix the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• FOR THE PRUNE FILLING: Put the prunes into a saucepan, and cover them with water. Add the vanilla, and simmer until the prunes have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and pit the prunes, and chop them in a food processor with the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Or chop the prunes by hand, and then add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• FOR THE POPPYSEED FILLING: To make the poppyseed filling, stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• Grind the poppyseeds in a blender with about half the milk. Place the poppyseed mixture and the remaining milk in a large, heavy saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir in the reserved sugar and cornstarch mixture and the almond extract. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick-a matter of a few minutes.
• NOTE: Some kolache recipes call for "proofing" the yeast in milk, but the fat in milk can actually hinder the yeast's development. It's best to "proof" the yeast in water first and then to add milk later for tenderness.
• You can make kolaches with sausage or almost any type of cooked fruit filling. Don't use jelly, though, because it's too runny. The fruit needs to be cooked to fruit butter consistency.
• Make the center depressions carefully so the bread doesn't go flat.
• Enclose cheese based fillings, like the creamy peach, and poppyseed fillings totally with dough. Stiffer fillings like prune can peer out the top.
• Don't skimp on the amount of butter brushed on the dough.
• Texas Home Cooking.

AUTHENTIC CZECH HOMEMADE KOLACHE RECIPE

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar into lukewarm water.
• Into a microwave safe bowl, put the milk and butter. Microwave just until butter melts. Let cool slightly to 110°F (so it doesn't kill the yeast).
• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with salt, sugar, and potato flakes. Add in yeast mixture, warmed milk and butter. Stir to combine. Add the egg and blend into dough.
• Knead in remaining flour until dough comes together and it is slightly sticky.
• Let dough raise for an hour and a half or until doubled.
• Once raised, form dough into 12 balls. Place each dough ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let raise another hour.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Once dough balls have risen for an hour. Use the back of a spoon and make an indentation into the ball.
• Then fill each indentation with cream cheese mixture.
• Bake kolaches at 425°F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

SAUSAGE AND GRAVY KOLACHE

Steps:

• For the sausage and gravy filling: Put the Breakfast Sausage into a pan on the stove. Pour the oil into the pan and onto the sausage. Break into bite-sized pieces and turn on the heat. Season and distribute evenly with 1 tablespoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons salt. Mix together and cook the meat until done, about 10 minutes.
• Once the sausage is fully cooked, turn the heat to low and distribute the flour evenly onto the sausage. Make sure the oil and the flour combine to form a thick roux. Once each sausage piece is thoroughly covered with flour, turn the heat back onto high. Add the milk to the pan and stir to break up any sausage clumps. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon pepper and 2 tablespoons salt to the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, mixing periodically so that the flour does not cook on the bottom of the pan. Once the milk starts to boil, continually stir the mixture as it thickens, ensuring it doesn't burn. Once the sausage starts to "pull" from the sides of the pan, the gravy is cooked completely. Pour into a dish and refrigerate overnight so it gets gelatinous.
• For the dough: In a sauce pan, melt the butter. When melted, whisk in the milk, then pour into a mixer bowl. Add the yeast, flour, sugar, egg yolks and salt to the bowl and mix on low until the mixture is fully incorporated. Turn the mixer up slightly and knead until the dough is smooth. Portion the dough into 3-ounce balls immediately and set aside to proof until the dough is soft and supple, about 30 minutes.
• Building the sausage and gravy kolache: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• When the dough is soft and plump, place a ball into one hand and flatten. Use a spoon to scoop the sausage and gravy filling into the center of the flattened dough in your palm. Pull the outside portion of the dough up and around the filling, pinching the dough closed at the top. Invert the ball with the seam on the bottom and place on a baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough balls and filling.
• Bake the kolaches until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.
• In a large bowl, add the pork, beef, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sage and 1 tablespoon cold water and mix thoroughly.