Kolaches

I fell in love with Kolaches during our time in Dallas Tx. Funny enough, the first place I ever had one was at Dunkin' Donuts around the corner from our apartment. Something about a cheddar and jalapeño sausage wrapped in a fresh baked bun just warms the soul. It sounds like a giant pigs in a blanket, but it's so much better!

When we moved to El Dorado, Ar, about a year and a half later I didn't realize I would not have to give up one of my new found favorites, because there is a shop there called Shipley's and they make kolaches! The make different kinds too, and you bet I went back there when we visited about 3 weeks ago and I tried several. Of course the jalapeño and cheddar sausage is my favorite, but I also got a pepperoni and swiss cheese and I tried a boudin one too! (If you don't know what boudin is, it's a cajun or creole sausage that is yummy in the tummy!)

My husband had made some homemade not to long ago, as they are not locally found, yet, and he did a pretty darn good job! So I decided to try my hand at it making some pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, buffalo chicken, mango habanero chicken sausage and, of course, some jalapeño cheddar sausage ones. Not to toot my own horn, but they turned out just as i'd hoped! Below you will see a brief history on K

olaches if you are interested. I have also posted a few photos from what I made, some photos from online and a recipe for the dough below (of course you can use sausage you buy at the store or other fillings inside).

The History

The word Kolache comes from the Czech word Kola, or wheels/rounds referring to the shape of a pastry. They arrived in the 1800s in Texas along with thousands of Czechoslovakian immigrants.

The story from Edible Austin by Katie Cantrell goes as follows:

“Long ago, in a corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire now know as the Czech Republic, Maminka was trying to bake bread, but her daughter, Lobule, kept interrupting her. So Maminka gave her a piece of dough to play with. Happily, Lobule rolled and flattened her dough, added some plums from the table, and slipped her creation into the oven with the rest of the bread.

When her father came in from the fields for a snack, he grabbed Lobule’s little cake, which promptly squirted him with scalding plum juice. Crazed with pain, he began hopping around the table in a

circle. Lobule, who found all this very funny, cried out, “Tatinek je do kola!” In other words: “Tatinek is making a wheel!”

And so the kolache, a ball of dough not unlike a slightly sweetish dinner roll filled with fruit or cheese - was born.”

Some say Kolaches are as Texan as BBQ.

Ingredients:

1. 10 Tblsp Unsalted Butter

2. 1 c. Whole Milk

3. 3.5 c. All Purpose Flour

4. 1/3c. Granulated Sugar

5. 2.25 tsp Rapid Rise Yeast (or instant)

6. 1.5 tsp Salt

7. 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

Steps:

1. Over medium heat, melt the butter without browning, in a saucepan. Once melted, add the whole milk until blended, set aside

2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix on low to combine

3. Switch the paddle attachment for the hook and add the milk/butter mixture and the eggs, mix on low for 1 minute, then increase the speed (to #6 on a kitchenaid) and knead for 8 minutes. (You can also knead by hand)

4. While the dough kneads, boil 3 cups of water and grease a large bowl (does not need to be oven safe)

5. When the dough is done kneading, use flowered hands and make a ball shape with the dough (it should be somewhat sticky) and place it in the greased bowl

6. Place the boiled water in the bottom of your oven, place a rack above with enough space for the bowl of dough

7. Leave the dough in the oven for 1-1.5 hours until it has doubled in size (You are proofing the dough so there is no need to have the oven on, the boiled water is creating the moisture needed to help the dough)

8. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into individual balls

   1. You should be able to get 16, I weighed them all out to be 59 grams

9. Place the dough balls on a cookie tray and place them back in the oven to proof for 90 minutes

10. They are now ready to be stretched or rolled out and wrapped around the sausage or filled with your desired filling.

11. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Before placing them in the oven, brush with an egg wash. cook for 20-25 minutes

12. When they are done, brush with some melted butter and they are ready to eat

13. You can freeze them or reheat in a toaster oven or the microwave. They can make a great breakfast or snack! We paired ours with some chili!