Kolache Fillings And Toppings 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.

HOMEMADE KOLACHES RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, warm milk and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 20 minutes or until doubled in size.
• In another bowl, melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter. Let the melted butter cool very briefly then whisk in the eggs and salt. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and blend. Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of the flour. The dough will be moist and soft.
• Turn the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add extra flour as needed to make a soft workable dough. Grease a bowl with some oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover and let it rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.In the meantime, make the filling and the topping.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, crumble the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.
• After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Punch it down and divide it evenly into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place them on an oiled baking sheet leaving several inches in between each dough ball. Flatten each ball slightly so it is about 3 inches in diameter. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• With your finger, gently make an indentation in the center of each dough ball, being careful not to flatten it too much. Fill each one with 1 tablespoon of filling and sprinkle it with the topping. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until risen and pale gold.
• While the kolaches are baking, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Remove the kolaches from the oven and brush them with melted butter. Transfer them to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. They are best when eaten the same day they are made.
• 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.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the apricots, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.
• In a food processor, puree the apricots and sugar until smooth. The topping can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
• Simply pour your chosen filling into a bowl.

AUTHENTIC CZECH KOLACHE (KOLáčE) WITH FRUIT FILLING AND STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• In a small bowl lightly whisk 1 whole egg, both egg yolks and the lukewarm milk.
• Place the egg mixture, flour, salt, powdered sugar and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, and using the dough hook, mix for 1 minute.
• Add the butter, and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, about 7 minutes.
• With your hands, form the dough into a smooth, round ball.
• In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, powdered sugar, and yeast.
• In a small bowl lightly whisk 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks, and lukewarm milk.
• Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix to combine with a wooden spoon. Add the butter. (It's probably going to be too hard to stir and incorporate thoroughly with a wooden spoon, so feel free to dump the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface, and mix with your hands).
• Toss, turn and knead the dough with the palm of your hands for 7 minutes, until glossy and elastic.
• With your hands, form the dough into a smooth, round ball.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a large bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel.
• Let the dough rise undisturbed, in a warm place, until doubled in size, about 50 min - 1½ hours
• In a small bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Work in the butter with your fingers, lightly toss and mix, until crumbled and pea-size.
• In a bowl, lightly beat the 1 egg you reserved for brushing the dough.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), place two oven racks in the middle of the oven, and line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal parts.
• Shape each part into a bun and place it in the middle of a baking sheet. With your hands, gently flatten and tap the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter, ¼ inch high, and with a ¾-inch wide edge.
• Arrange the fruit evenly on top of the dough (strawberries and apricots cut-side down). Use either one type of fruit per koláč, or combine two or all three in a fun circular pattern.
• Brush the edge with the egg. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the streusel evenly over the fruit, and lightly press down.
• Bake the koláče-two at a time-in the oven until the edge is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. For even baking, switch the baking sheets halfway through, placing the top one on bottom and vice versa.
• Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for about 45 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

KOLACHES

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• Make the dried-fruit filling: Place the fruit in a small saucepan and add 1/2 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

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.

HOMEMADE KOLACHES

Steps:

• Add the lukewarm milk, sugar, cooled butter, eggs, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix everything together using the paddle attachment.
• Add 4½ cups flour and salt to the mixture. Mix on low just until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands to remove the dough from the paddle attachment. Remove the paddle and replace it with the dough hook. Mix (knead) on medium for 6 to 7 minutes until the dough is soft and is starting to pull away from the bowl, adding another ¼ to ½ cup of flour as needed.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and smooth it into a ball with your hands. The dough will be quite sticky. This is normal. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Turn the dough over to coat with oil all over. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, non-drafty area until it has doubled in size, usually about 2 hours. Or, place in the refrigerator for overnight or up to 12 hours.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to ½-inch thickness.
• Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, or an inverted metal can, or an inverted glass, cut rounds from the dough. Re-roll the scraps, and cut more rounds.
• Place each round on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other, cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Using your thumb, press 1 large indention into the center of each round, leaving a 1/2-inch wide rim. Spoon about 1 tablespoon topping into the indentions.
• Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the size of the kolaches).
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool
• In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar and mix until smooth. (A hand mixer works well).
• Beat in the yolk and vanilla.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon.
• Add the blueberries and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.
• Stir in the reserved cherry juices and cook, stirring often, over medium heat, until the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries. Let cool.

BOHEMIAN KOLACHES WITH FOUR FILLINGS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water until foamy.
• Heat milk, pour over butter and sugar. Stir until melted. Add 2 cups flour, then beat until smooth.
• Add yeast, eggs and salt. Add flour until a soft ball forms. Grease top; let.
• rise. Punch down and let rise again.
• Stretch dough on floured board to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a soup can. Put on greased pans and let rise.
• When nice and puffy, make indentations in center and fill with favorite filling like prune, apricot, cottage cheese or poppy seed. When risen to a nice puffy look, bake at 375 degrees F until a golden color - cook 15 minutes then check every 3 minutes thereafter.
• Prune Filling:.
• Cook prunes until soft. Grind and add sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir well.
• Apricot Filling:.
• Cook apricots until soft. Grind and add sugar. Sweeter is better. Stir well.
• Cottage Cheese Filling:.
• Put cottage cheese in blender. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, nutmeg and 4 tablespoons flour and blend some more. Take out of blender and add raisins. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour and sugar.
• Poppy Seed Filling:.
• Mix together. Use enough cream to make it easier to put into kolaches.

KOLACHE RECIPE

Steps:

• Line the 3 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

KOLACHE FILLINGS AND TOPPINGS

Steps:

• Apricot filling: Cook dry apricots till very tender. Add in sugar and cook till very thick. Prune filling: Cook 1 pound of pprunes till very tender, remove seeds and sweeten to taste. Add in 1/8 ts. full cloves and grated rind of 1/2 lemon, if the flavor is desired. Cook till quite thick. (A little vanilla improves the taste.) Cottage Cheese filling: 4 c. of well liquid removed cottage cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, 2 Large eggs, 1/2 ts. vanilla, and 1/2 ts. salt, mix well. Add in sufficient thick cream to make like thick jam. Fill Kolache and let rise and bake. Ice after baking and spprinkle with coconut. Will fill 4 doz. or possibly more Kolaches. Poppy seed filling: 1 c. grnd popppy seed, 1/4 c. lowfat milk, 1 1/2 ts. lemon juice or possibly 1/2 ts. vanilla, 1/4 ts. cinnamon and 1/2 c. sugar. Blend all ingredients and simmer for 5 min. Let coool before filling Kolache. Will fill one dozen or possibly more. Coconut filling: Mix together 1/2 c. brown sugar (packed in c.), 1/2 c. coconut and 3 Tablespoons butter. Fruit filling: 2 c. minced apples, 1 c. raisins, 1 C. brown sugar (packed in c.), 1/2 c. water, 1/2 ts. salt and 1/2 ts. cinnamon. Boil about 15 min till thick as mincemeat. Cold before using. Apple filling: Cook sweetened apples till thick. Flavor with cinnamon or possibly grated lemon rind. Add in a healthy pinch of salt and Tablespoons of butter for each cupful of apples. lace spoonful in hollow of Kolache and sprinkle with coconut or possibly chppped pecans. Toppings for Kolaches:Posipka (Struessel): 1/2 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 1/3 c. melted butter. Mix together till crumbly. Sprinkle on top of Kolache before baking. (Much improved by addition of a few minced nuts or possibly coconut). Simple Icing: 1/2 pound powdered sugar, 1 ts. vanilla. Sweet cream, sufficient to make thin sufficient to spread with a spooon. Te be applied after Kolache is cold. For extra glamor, add in few minced pecans or possibly shredded coconut after icing.

KOLACH WITH CHEESE, POPPY SEED, AND FRUIT JAM FILLING

Steps:

• Crumble the yeast and combine it in a bowl with a tablespoon of sugar, a little bit of flour, and tepid milk. Set it aside for half an hour so the yeast can activate and the mixture bubbles up.
• Sift the two flours directly into a bowl, then add sugar, salt, lemon peel, yeast mixture, egg, egg yolks, butter, and lard. Pour in the milk and knead until you have a smooth dough.
• Cover with cling film and store in a warm place until doubled in size. For the best results, you should do repeat this step two more times, but punch the dough down with your fist and knead it after each rise.
• Roll the dough out, then cut out circles, about 5cm in diameter. Place the circles of dough on a greased baking tray. With the bottom of a glass press into each circle of dough to make an indentation, then fill it with one of the three proposed fillings.
• Glaze the rim of the dough around the filling with an egg wash. Bake in the oven preheated to 200°C until golden in color.
• For the poppy seed filling, first, warm milk with sugar, then pour it over the ground poppy seeds. Mix in the rum and cinnamon.
• For the cheese filling, mix all the listed ingredients in a bowl.
• For the fruit filling, pick a fruit jam of your choice (plum jam is traditional), then heat it over low heat and mix in the potato starch.

HOW TO MAKE MORAVIAN KOLACHES

Steps:

• For the quark filling: Mix all the quark filling ingredients and place in the fridge until needed.
• For the plum filling: If your plum jam is overly thick, mix it with a little rum or water to soften it. Set aside until needed.
• For the streusel topping: In a saucepan melt the butter, add flour and sugar and mix with fork until crumbly. If the mixture is too wet, add a little flour. Set aside.
• To activate the yeast: In a bowl mix together yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add 4 tablespoons warm milk, mix well and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
• To make the dough: In your electric mixer bowl (or a large bowl) mix flour, sugar, milk, butter, egg yolks and salt. Add the activated yeast. Knead with dough hook (or with wooden spoon) on low speed for about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about one hour to double its volume.
• When the dough has risen turn it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it with rolling pin to a thickness of about ¼ inch (6mm). Cut dough into circles with 10cm (4 inch) cookie cutter or a glass (if you want small kolaches) or divide the dough into 10 equal pieces (if you want large kolaches). Reroll the scraps and cut out the last remaining circles. Press down gently on each piece with your hands to spread the dough and fill with quark filling (for the small sized kolaches, I used about 1 tablespoon of filling each). Pulling up the sides of the dough, wrap each kolach into a 'purse' shape.
• Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Put each kolach onto a prepared baking sheet with seam side down. Gently make an indentation in the middle of each kolach with your thumb. Brush the top of the kolach with egg wash and fill the indented holes with a dollop of plum filling. Sprinkle it with streusel topping. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

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.

KOLACHE

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.
• Yeast proofing in a measuring cup.
• 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.
• Mixing kolache dough.
• Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a workable dough.
• Kneading kolache dough in a mixing bowl.
• On a lightly floured surface or in a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes.
• Kneading kolache dough in a mixing bowl.
• Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.
• Kolache dough in an oiled mixing bowl.
• 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.
• Risen kolache dough in a mixing bowl.
• Punch down the dough, knead briefly, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1¼ hours.
• Punching down kolache dough.
• 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.
• Ball of dough divided in half on a cutting board.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ½ inch thick. Cut into 2½-inch rounds. Reroll and cut out the scraps.
• Kolache dough rolled out into a rectangle.
• 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.
• Kolaches on a lined baking sheet.
• 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.
• Brushing kolache with melted butter.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon topping into the indentation and, if using, sprinkle lightly with the posipka.
• American aFilled kolache on a lined baking sheet.Cakes: Kolache - Learn the history of Czech kolaches, then try a traditional recipe with fillings and posipka from food historian Gil Marks
• 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.
• American Cakes: Kolache - Learn the history of Czech kolaches, then try a traditional recipe with fillings and posipka from food historian Gil Marks
• 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.
• For 12-inch round cakes: On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12-inch round. Place on the prepared sheet, leaving several inches between each round. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap spritzed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature until nearly tripled, about 1½ hours.
• Kolache dough rolled into a circle.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F for a convection oven).
• With a large spoon or your thumb, press 6 evenly spaced deep large triangular indentations into the dough, leaving a ½-inch-wide outer rim and between the indentations. Brush the edges with the egg wash.
• Round kolache divided into six sections.
• Fill each section with about 1/3 cup of 3 or 6 different toppings. If using, sprinkle lightly with the posipka.
• Round kolache sections filled with fruit.
• Bake until golden brown or the center of the dough registers about 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• To Make Cheese Topping
• In a medium bowl, beat the cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in the yolks, optional flour, and vanilla.
• American Cakes: Kolache - Learn the history of Czech kolaches, then try a traditional recipe with fillings and posipka from food historian Gil Marks
• To Make Poppy Seed Topping
• In a nut grinder, coffee grinder, food processor, or blender, grind the poppy seeds. Grinding produces a finer texture and better flavor. In a medium saucepan, combine the poppy seeds, milk, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and optional zest. Simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Let cool. The topping can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It tastes much better than the canned stuff.
• To Make Prune Topping
• In a bowl or large bottle, pour the water over the prunes and let stand at room temperature for several hours or overnight. In a large saucepan, simmer the prunes and water until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. To the hot prunes, add the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and optional cloves and mash until smooth. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid. Let cool. The topping can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To Make Apricot Topping
• In a medium saucepan, simmer the apricots and orange juice over medium heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. In a food processor, puree the apricots with the sugar and lemon juice until smooth. The topping can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To Make Blueberry Topping
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and, if using, cinnamon. Add the blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes). Let cool. (Filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
• To Make Cherry Topping
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the juice. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries. Let cool. (Filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
• To Make Posipka (optional)
• In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and optional cinnamon. Using a fork or your fingers, stir in the butter to make fine crumbs.