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Have you ever tried a Kolache? Because if you haven’t…..let me tell you that you are missing out. I was introduced to Kolaches on my first visits to the United States. My mother in law, Pat, and her sister Dori, had made a ton of Kolaches to celebrate our arrival. Soon after we arrived to the house, we were all seated around the kitchen table with nothing but coffee, and Kolaches stuffed with so many yummy toppings that it was almost impossible to eat just one. I remember vividly that I was so hungry, jet lag would do that to you, and trust me, Kolaches took care of it. I tried all the different toppings within 30 minutes, and I couldn’t believe that I had been missing out for so long as I had never heard from them before. Two days later, all our Kolaches were gone so Pat, and Dori decided to make more, and that is how I learnt how to make them. We made three different recipes in two days, and a ton of Kolaches….we had so much fun!
If you have never heard about Kolaches before, here is a little bit of history on Kolaches, and its origin: Kolaches originally came from Central Europe, and when Czech immigrants arrived in Texas in the mid 19th century, they brought with them their culture- and their pastry. The name “Kolache” originates from the word Czech “kolo”which means “circle” or “wheels”. Kolaches are very popular in Texas, and they even have a very delicious meat version which I had a chance to try during one of my trips to Texas. In Nebraska kolaches are also a very popular pastry as a lot of Nebraskans descend from the Czech immigrants, and they have carried on their traditions. Verdigre, a very tiny town in Nebraska is recognized as Kolaches Capital of the World. Every year, this small town celebrates the “Kolaches Days” , a festival dedicated to the Czech culture.I have been in Nebraska many times, and I have never visited this small town, but I heard it is a pretty good festival.
I hope you all enjoy Kolaches as much as my husband and I do, and if you decide to give it a try, don’t forget to let me know what you think.
Suggestions for Topping:
Dried Apricot Preserves:
Blueberry Jam (Thermomix Cooking Directions)
Dried Apricot Preserves (Thermomix)
AuthorPapeoByPepi
Combine two cups of the flour, add the milk, butter, eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and the instant yeast.
Work the dough until smooth, and stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough until smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise until doubled in size (It took me about three hours)
Punch down the dough, knead some more, divide the dough in half, and form into 2 balls, and let them stand separately for another 10 minutes.
Roll each dough ball out on a floured surface to 1/2 in thickness.
Cut the kolaches, with 2-1/2 in cutter.
Place them about 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined sheets.
Let them rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).
With the help of the back of a spoon, your fingers or any round item, firmly press indentation in center.
It should look like this or....better;-)
Brush the borders of the Kolaches with the egg wash.
Fill each roll with a tablespoon of desired filling.
Position a rack in the center of the oven
Preheat the oven at 350 (Fahrenheit)
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.
***Note, try not to put too much of the toping/filling on the kolaches. I advise you to do a test with a couple of Kolaches first just to get a better idea. I think that the secret resides in how well you define the Kolaches indentations. You have to press on the indentations firmly without breaking the Kolaches or deforming their circular shape.
****Note: I have my Thermomix set up in the Metric system. (Please see step by step pictures in the Traditional Cooking section)
Warm the milk to 37 degrees, and add yeast
THERMOMIX: 20 Seconds/Stir Speed
Allow time to sit for 5 minutes.
Add two cups of the flour, and the rest of ingredients.
**THERMOMIX 20 Seconds/Speed 3, and then,
**THERMOMIX 5 Minutes/Kneading Function.
Add the rest of the flour
**THERMOMIX 5 Minutes/Kneading Function.
Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it in an oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise until doubled in size (It took me three hours)
Punch down the dough, knead some more-manually, divide the dough in half, form into 2 balls, and let them stand separately for another 10 minutes.
Roll each dough ball out on a floured surface to 1/2 in thickness. Cut the kolaches, with 2-1/2 in cutter.
Place them about 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined sheets-Let them rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes)
Firmly press indentation in the center, and fill each roll with a tablespoon of filling.
Brush dough with the egg wash.
Position a rack in the center of the oven
Preheat the oven at 350 (Fahrenheit)
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine two cups of the flour, add the milk, butter, eggs, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and the instant yeast.
Work the dough until smooth, and stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead the dough until smooth.
Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise until doubled in size (It took me about three hours)
Punch down the dough, knead some more, divide the dough in half, and form into 2 balls, and let them stand separately for another 10 minutes.
Roll each dough ball out on a floured surface to 1/2 in thickness.
Cut the kolaches, with 2-1/2 in cutter.
Place them about 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined sheets.
Let them rise until double in size (about 45 minutes).
With the help of the back of a spoon, your fingers or any round item, firmly press indentation in center.
It should look like this or....better;-)
Brush the borders of the Kolaches with the egg wash.
Fill each roll with a tablespoon of desired filling.
Position a rack in the center of the oven
Preheat the oven at 350 (Fahrenheit)
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.
***Note, try not to put too much of the toping/filling on the kolaches. I advise you to do a test with a couple of Kolaches first just to get a better idea. I think that the secret resides in how well you define the Kolaches indentations. You have to press on the indentations firmly without breaking the Kolaches or deforming their circular shape.
****Note: I have my Thermomix set up in the Metric system. (Please see step by step pictures in the Traditional Cooking section)
Warm the milk to 37 degrees, and add yeast
THERMOMIX: 20 Seconds/Stir Speed
Allow time to sit for 5 minutes.
Add two cups of the flour, and the rest of ingredients.
**THERMOMIX 20 Seconds/Speed 3, and then,
**THERMOMIX 5 Minutes/Kneading Function.
Add the rest of the flour
**THERMOMIX 5 Minutes/Kneading Function.
Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it in an oiled bowl.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise until doubled in size (It took me three hours)
Punch down the dough, knead some more-manually, divide the dough in half, form into 2 balls, and let them stand separately for another 10 minutes.
Roll each dough ball out on a floured surface to 1/2 in thickness. Cut the kolaches, with 2-1/2 in cutter.
Place them about 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined sheets-Let them rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes)
Firmly press indentation in the center, and fill each roll with a tablespoon of filling.
Brush dough with the egg wash.
Position a rack in the center of the oven
Preheat the oven at 350 (Fahrenheit)
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.
