Kolachs are traditional Czech sweets. It is simply a round-shaped sweet pastry filled with fruit or fruit compote. They are typically served for breakfast or as a dessert on special occasions. Once you have prepared the dough, you can give free rein to your creativity using different types of fillings.
Ingrediants
Dough
- 7 g of active dry yeast or 6 g of instant yeast
- 1 cup (250 ml) of warm milk
- 120 g of softened butter
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons (80 g) of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or ½ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg (optional)
- 4 cups (500g) of all-purpose flour
Mix for browning
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of cream, milk or water
Cherry filling
- ½ cup (100 g) of granulated sugar
- 35 g of corn starch
- 300 ml of concentrated cherry juice
- 4 cups (800) g of pitted black cherries
Stuffed with Blueberries
- 70 g of granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
- salt
- 2 cups (300) g of blueberries
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice
Apricot filling
- 2 cups (340 g) of dried apricots
- 1 cup (250 ml) of orange juice
- ½ cup (100 g) of granulated or muscovado sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of lemon juice
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Making the Dough
Step 1. Dissolve the yeast in 60ml of warm milk
This is the first step to take if you have decided to use active dry yeast. You should dissolve it in a measuring cup, which will allow you to conveniently pour it over the other ingredients. Make sure the yeast has dissolved completely.
If you are using instant yeast, you can skip this step and add it later
Step 2. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and flour
The butter should be softened at room temperature to facilitate the procedure. In the bowl, pour the remaining milk, softened butter, eggs, sugar, salt and yeast you made. Then, add 180 g of flour and mix everything well. If you plan to incorporate lemon zest, ground mace, or nutmeg, add these ingredients as well.
- If you are using instant yeast, add it now.
- Once the ingredients have been blended, slowly incorporate the remaining flour. It is possible that you will use exactly 500g, but you could also use a little more or a little less. Just make sure the dough is neither too sticky nor too dry.
Step 3. Knead on a floured surface
Lightly line your work surface (such as a kitchen counter or table) with a handful of flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Work it with your fingertips to make it smooth and easy to shape. After kneading for about 5 minutes, roll the dough into a ball.
Step 4. Put the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise
Grease it with non-stick cooking spray or coat the bottom with a tablespoon of oil. Place the ball of dough inside it and rotate it to cover it with oil. At this point let it rise.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in the kitchen (or any other warm place) for about 2 to 3 hours. You can also let it rise overnight in the fridge if you find it more convenient
Step 5. Knead the dough and let it rise again
Once the dough has almost doubled its volume, press it into the bowl with your hand closed in a fist and knead it again gently. Then, cover it, set it aside and wait for it to double in volume once again. It will take about an hour and a quarter. At this point it should have inflated again. Knead it, divide it in half and let it rise one last time for about 10 minutes. Now it will finally be ready.
Preparing the kolach dough requires a lot of patience, but it is essential to wait as long as necessary for the leavening to take place correctly. You will thus obtain the thick and chewy consistency that characterizes this type of dessert
Part 2 of 4: Forming the Kolachs
Step 1. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface
Sprinkle a handful of flour again on a flat surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 2. Cut the dough into circles
Each circle should be approximately 6cm in diameter. By using a cookie cutter, you will get perfect circles, but you can also use the rim of a glass that is the right size. Press the mold or rim of the glass firmly into the dough, then peel the dough around the circle.
Roll the remaining dough into a sphere, then roll it out again with a rolling pin on the floured surface. Cut it out to get circles and then form another sphere with what is left over. Repeat the process until all the dough is finished
Step 3. Place the circles on a baking sheet
You can line it with parchment paper or grease it with a little edible fat to prevent the dough from sticking. Again, cover the dough with a tea towel or sheet of cling film. Set the pan aside and let it rise again for about an hour.
Step 4. Make a hollow in the dough
Once the dough has risen and doubled in volume, you can make a hollow in the center of each circle. This step basically allows the cakes to be concave, so that the filling remains inside them during cooking.
Gently press the center of each circle using your thumb or a teaspoon. Make sure you don't make too large hollows. Each cake should have a bulging edge of about 1.5cm around the perimeter
Part 3 of 4: Prepare the Fillings
Step 1. Make a cherry filling for the kolachs
In a saucepan, pour the sugar, cornstarch, and concentrated cherry juice. Stir them with a wooden spoon until you get a homogeneous blend. Put the pot on the stove and set it to a moderate temperature. Once the mixture has started to boil and thicken, turn off the heat and add the pitted sour cherries.
Step 2. Make a blueberry filling
In a saucepan, pour the sugar, cornstarch, salt, blueberries and lemon juice. Set the heat to moderate heat to heat the mixture and stir it constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. The final product should be quite thick.
Step 3. Make a sweet apricot filling
The preparation of this filling will take a little longer than the one for cherries or blueberries. You need to simmer the dried apricots and orange juice in a saucepan for about half an hour or until the fruit softens. Drain the orange juice and put the softened apricots in a food processor to blend them with the sugar and lemon juice. The filling will be ready once you have obtained a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Step 4. Experiment with other fillings, as there are dozens of them
Traditionally, fruit fillings are used, but they are certainly not the only ones. For example, kolach stuffed with cream cheese and poppy seeds are a popular variation. You can also make savory kolach with different types of cold cuts. Don't be afraid to invent and experiment!
Part 4 of 4: Add the Topping and Bake the Desserts
Step 1. Preheat the oven
Set it to 190 ° C. It's best to turn it on before you start stuffing the dough, so it's ready once you're done. Let it heat for about 10-20 minutes depending on the type of oven you have.
Step 2. Brush the beaten egg on each kolach
To prepare the mixture, simply beat a large egg and add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of milk, cream or water. Brush it generously over each pastry using a pastry brush.
Step 3. Place the filling in the center of the hollow with the help of a spoon
Add only a spoonful of pasta filling. The hollow must be completely filled with the filling.
If you don't have to use all of the filling you made, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it and use it when you make the kolach again
Step 4. Bake the kolachs and serve them
Put the kolachs in the oven and set the timer for 12 minutes. However, keep an eye on them and take them out of the oven once the dough is golden. Remove them from the boiling pan with a spatula and let them cool on a rack or other surface. Serve them immediately!
