Homemade Kolaches Recipe

This Kolaches recipe produces soft and light pastries filled with sweet cream cheese or fruit filling topped with a tasty cinnamon strudel. Kolaches are easy to make and the perfect breakfast treat!

We first tasted Kolaches while traveling through Texas. These tasty Czech pastries are made with a yeast dough similar to sweet rolls. They are fluffy, pillowy, heavenly little bites filled with different fruit compotes, sweet cream cheese and topped with a sugary-cinnamon crumble.

What Is A Kolache Pastry?

A Kolach or kolacky is an authentic pastry from the Czech Republic. It consists of sweet pastry rounds made with yeast dough that hold a dollop of fruit filling. They were usually served at weddings as far back as the 1700’s.

What Is A Kolache In Texas?

Kolaches are a popular breakfast staple in Texas. They are usually filled with savory ingredients like eggs, sausage, bacon and cheese. Although savory kolaches are actually called klobasnek, I assume for the sake of simplicity that they are called kolaches whether they are sweet or savory.

Kolaches Recipe Ingredients

For the Pastry:

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour.
• Butter – Unsalted
• Milk – I prefer whole milk for this recipe.
• Yeast – Active dry yeast
• Eggs – I use large eggs
• Sugar – granulated sugar.
• Salt – I prefer Kosher or sea salt but table salt works too.

Kolache Fillings and Topping Ingredients

I am providing recipes for apricot and cream cheese fillings. Both fillings are absolutely delicious however, if you prefer a much easier filling, you can use canned pie filling. Cherry or apple flavors are my favorite! If you feel a bit adventurous – use cream cheese filling topped with a bit of fruit filling! Yum!

Apricot Filling: Dried apricots, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Filling: Cream cheese (full-fat), egg yolk, sugar, flour, orange zest (or lemon zest).

Crumble Topping (Posypka): Butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon.

How To Make This Kolaches Recipe

• In a bowl mix the yeast, warm milk and sugar. Let it stand for a few minutes to make sure the yeast activates. You will see a few bubbles on the surface. Then add 1 cup of flour and mix well. Let this rise until doubled in size.
• In another bowl, melt 1 stick of 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 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. At this point, you can make the filling(s).

• 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. (for photo purposes we show the dough in the mixing bowl)
• Roll each piece of dough into balls and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• With your finger, gently make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
• 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 gold.
• While the kolaches are baking, melt the remaining  butter.
• Remove the kolaches from the oven and rush them with melted butter. Enjoy!

How To Make The Cream Cheese Filling

• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
• Add the flour, egg yolk and lemon zest. Mix to blend and set aside.

How To Make The Apricot Filling

• In a 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. 

How To Make The Topping (Posypka)

• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon.
• Using your fingers, crumble the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. 

Other Pastry Recipes:

• The Best Cinnamon Buns
• Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
• Easy Banana Bread
• Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Homemade Kolaches Recipe

5 from 1 review

Kathy McDaniel

This Kolaches recipe produces soft and light pastries filled with sweet cream cheese or fruit filling topped with a tasty cinnamon strudel. Kolaches are easy to make and the perfect breakfast treat!

Print Pin

Prep 1 hour hr

Cook 30 minutes mins

Resting/Raising 1 hour hr

Total 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Makes 12 kolaches

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

FOR THE PASTRY:

• ▢ ¼ ounce (1 package of dry yeast)
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm, (110 to 115 degrees)
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for kneading
• ▢ 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, (1 1/2 sticks)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ Vegetable oil, as needed

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING (Posypka):

• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

MAKE ANY FILLING YOU PREFER FROM THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

FOR THE APRICOT FILLING:

• ▢ 1 cup dried apricots
• ▢ 1/2 cup orange juice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

APPLE FILLING:

• ▢ 1 (15-ounces) can apple pie filling

CHERRY FILLING:

• ▢ 1 (15-ounces) can cherry pie filling

Instructions 

Make The Pastry:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

For The Topping (Posypka):

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, crumble the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Assemble And Bake:

1. 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.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. 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.
4. 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.

To Make Cream Cheese Filling:

1. 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.

To Make Apricot Filling

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the apricots, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.
2. 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.

For Apple and Cherry Filling

1. Simply pour your chosen filling into a bowl.

Notes

• You can make cream cheese and fruit kolaches. Fill each kolache with about 1/2 tablespoon of cream cheese filling and 1/2 tablespoon of fruit filling. The ratio doesn’t have to be exact. 
• Bake kolaches until golden brown on the top. The center of the dough should register about 180°F on an instant-read thermometer
• Nutrition facts are only an estimate and will vary depending on the brand of ingredients used and the type of filling you chose. 

Nutrition

Calories: 294 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 59 mg, Sodium: 315 mg, Potassium: 226 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 14 g, Vitamin A: 834 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 42 mg, Iron: 2 mg

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