2packages of dry yeast ( 1 package = 2tsp and 1/4 tsp )
1cupwarm milk
1tsphoney or pinch of sugar
1tspflour
Cheese Filling
2cupsFarmer's cheeseroom temperature (make your own cheese, recipe in the notes)
2egg yolks
1/2cupsugar
Blueberry Fruit Filling
1cupfresh or frozen fruit, blueberries, cherries, apricot etc
1/2cupsugar
2tbsp corn starch
2tbspwater, or lemon juice
Jam Filling
Plum Lekvar
1/2cupjam
2tbspcorn starch
2tbsp water
Egg Wash - optional
1egg
1tspwater
Streusel
1/2cup sugar
1/3cup flour
3tbspbutter
Savory Cream Topping - optional
1/2cupsour cream
1/4cupcream
1/2tspsalt
Instructions
Line the 3 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
Yeast Mixture
Prepare yeast mixture: into a small dish add warm milk (1cup), honey(1tsp) and dry yeast(2 packages, 1 pkg equals to 2 1/4tsp) and 1tsp flour. Whisk together and set aside for 5 minutes, until foamy on the top.
Dry Ingredients
In the meantime, into the bowl of your mixer measure flour (4cups), granulated sugar (7tbsp) and salt (1/8tsp). Whisk well to combined.
Eggs and Melted Butter
In a small dish melt butter (4tbsp), let it cool slightly, then add oil (4tbsp), then whisk in egg yolks (2 egg yolks), one whole egg (1 egg) and Vanilla Extract (1tsp).
Sweet Bread Dough
Into the flour pour foamy yeast mixture and egg yolk butter mixture. Stir with a spatula or a wooden spoon until combined and flour is thoroughly moistened through.
Transfer bowl into your stand mixer and knead on low speed with a hook attachment. Knead for about 2 minutes or so, before the dough forms the ball add soft butter(2tbsp) and knead until the dough gathers on the hook and pulls away from the sides of the mixer.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead if with your hands for about 1-2 minutes until it comes to a nice smooth ball.
Let Yeast Dough Rise
Spray a bowl with a nonstick spray or brush it with oil, place shaped dough ball into a bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour in a warm draft free spot.
Quick Yeast Dough Rising Tip - Rise the dough in the oven
Bring 3-4 cups of water to boil, pour boiling water into a shallow dish. Place the dish with boiling hot water on the bottom rack in your oven. Place the bowl with the yeast dough on the middle rack, just above the dish with boiling hot water. Close the oven door and let rise fro 60 minutes.
Cheese Filling/Topping
Stir together Farmer's cheese (2 cups), sugar (1/2 cup) and egg yolks (2 egg yolks). Combine with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
Blueberry Fruit Filling/Topping
Quickly process fresh fruit (1cup), granulated sugar ( 1/2cup), and corn starch (2tbsp), 2tbsp water, in a chopper until chopped into smaller chunks. Cook on medium heat, bring to simmer and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. You can prepare number of fruit fillings this way
Jam Filling/Topping
I like to use Plum Lekvar often referred to as Plum Butter.
If using store bought jam thicken it. Whisk together water (2tbsp) and corn starch (2tbsp). Whisk corn starch mixture with jam (1/2 cup). Cook on medium heat until simmer. Simmer or 5 minutes until thickened, let cool to room temperature.
Savory Cream Topping
When I make kolache I always make a this savory bread with cream topping. I reserve a small piece of dough for it. Try it, you might like it. In a small dish whisk together cream (1/4cup) and sour cream(1/2cup) or Greek Yogurt. Season well with salt (1/2tsp) and whisk well. Spread over a small slab of bread dough. Let rise 30-45 minutes. Bake at 350F until edges are golden brown. Let cool.
Egg Wash (optional)
In a small dish whisk together 1 egg and 1tsp of water. Set aside.
Oven Temperature
Preheat oven to 350F.
Make Kolache with Topping Only
Kolache with Topping: This is probably the most popular version of kolache. It's also easier to make than filled kolache. You can try and make both from the yeast dough.Dump risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch it down and roll it out to about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds with 2.5 to 3 inch cutter. Transfer rounds onto and baking sheet lined with parchment. Using a bottom of a small glass or a measuring cup press the bottom into the dough rounds, creating a deep and wide well. Brush each dough round with an egg wash if using (optional). Fill the well with cheese, fruit filling or both. Let rise for 30-45 minutes.
Gather left over bread dough and knead if for 30 second to come together. Dough will most likely appear stiff, this is normal. Cover it for 15 minutes and it will become more relaxed. You can roll it out again and make more kolache or try my savory topping instead and make a small slab bread. It's super yummy.
Make Kolache with Filling and Topping
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it dough to about 3/8 inch thick.
Kolache with Filling and Topping , my grandmother used to make these : cut out rounds from the dough. Then stretch the rounds a little and put the filling (cheese, jam, fruit filling, may favorite is thick plum lekvar) in the center, gather 2 opposite sides of the round and press them together meeting in the middle. Repeat until you have a small pouch formed. Flatten bun slightly with your hand.
Place it onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the center down carefully with you fingers or use a bottom of the small dish. Brush with an egg wash, if using (optional). Fill the well with a cheese topping, fruit topping, or both.
Sprinkle generously with a streusel topping, especially if you are using fruit fillings. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven at 350F, for 18-20 minutes, until edges are golden.
Alternatively you can cut rolled out dough into squares and make small buns using squares instead of rounds. As seen in the picture tutorial in my Kolache blog post.
Storage and Freezing
Store Kolache at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. However I prefer to freeze kolache as soon as they cool after baking. Then I just take out as many as I need and let them defrost on the counter. Or if I'm in a hurry I microwave them for 30 seconds on 50% power until defrosted.
Notes
TOPPING SUGGESTIONS
Sweetened Cheese topping sprinkled with cocoa powder mixed with powdered sugar. Or my Slovak friends can use Granko (dry cocoa powder)
Ground walnuts mixed with powdered sugar sprinkled over fruit topping or jam.
Fresh or Frozen Fruit - such as apricot, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, plums generously dusted with streusel.
Add fruit on top of the cheese filling and sprinkle with streusel.
Plum Lekvar with ground poppy seed topping, or use fresh plums. Be sure to dust fresh plums with little bit of sugar before adding poppy seed topping. Don't know how to make poppy seed topping? Check out my recipe for Slovak Lokshe/Potato Tortillas.
MY TOPPINGS SLIDE OFF THE BUNS, WHAT TO DO?
This can happen with filled and topped kolache. My grandmother used a toothpick to prick risen buns just before baking them. This old trick is suppose to help steam escape from the buns and keep the topping on the buns.When cheese topping is too runny this can happen, too. Try adding 1 -2 tbsp flour to a runny cheese topping.
CAN I USE THIS RECIPE TO MAKE A WALNUT ROLL?
Yes.
CAN I FREEZE KOLACHE?
Yes, as a matter of fact I always freeze kolache as soon as they cool right after baking them. Feeze them for up to 2 months. Let defrost on the counter. I often speed up the process by microwaving them for 30 second at 50%, until thawed.