Kolaches
“The best Danish in the world is a kolache,” writes Milk Street’s Shaula Clark—after whipping up several batches of these pillowy, savory or sweet treats, we are inclined to agree.
- MakesMakes twelve 4-inch buns
- Cook Time10½ hours
- Active time plus cooling40 minutes active, plus cooling
- 15
A kolache (pronounced koh-LAH-chee) is a rich, tender yeasted bun with a center hollow that traditionally is filled with sweet cheese and fruit before baking. Czech in origin, kolaches were brought to the U.S. by immigrants from Central Europe who settled in the Great Plains during the 1800s. We fill the buns with spoonfuls of lemon-scented sweetened cream cheese plus jam, then finish them with a dusting of crumb topping (you can skip the topping; the buns still will be delicious). Use one or multiple varieties of jam (blueberry and apricot were our favorites). So the kolaches can be served freshly baked for breakfast or brunch, we developed this recipe to be made over the course of a couple days, so plan accordingly. First, make the dough, let it rise until almost doubled, then refrigerate it (for up to 24 hours) to slow down the yeast’s activity. The next morning, shape the chilled dough, let it rise for 1 to 1½ hours, then fill and bake the buns. The kolaches are best the day of baking but will keep overnight, covered and stored at room temperature.
Don’t add more flour to the dough during mixing; the dough should feel sticky. When portioning and shaping it, it’s fine to dust the counter and your hands to make the dough workable, but use only as much flour as is needed. And be sure to keep the cream cheese filling and jam refrigerated until needed. Cold fillings stay in place better during baking.
To access this recipe, you need to be a member.
Join Milk Street and get instant access to over 3,500 recipes for just $1.