Biting into the brioche style dough Czech Koláce - Kolaches you’ll instantly wish you had known about this dish your whole life (unless you’re lucky enough to come from one of the places where this is apart of every day life). Have you tried one of these before friends? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below!
Kolaches have a nice light dough that only requires 1 hour to rise and is super easy to work with. It's filled with a light cream cheese mixture before being topped with jam and streusal for a special type of breakfast bread.
Why you'll love this
Soft buttery dough
The dough feels so soft that it soaks up flour swiftly, but this is what makes these kolaches light and so easy to eat!
Creamy and jam filling
The layer of a light cottage cheese topped with sweet plum or apricot jam pairs so beautifully.
Breakfast bite
Alongside more famous pastry or bread breakfast dishes, this is the best way to start the day and the dough doesn’t need overly long to rise so an early get up would give you a batch of these before 10am.
Ingredients and substitutions for Czech Koláce - Kolaches
- Plain flour: Plain or all purpose flour is recommended here which results in a nice light brioche style crumb.
- Eggs: As well as adding structure to the dough and cheese filling, the eggs will bind everything together so are essential.
- Butter: Softened butter blends best to create a nice buttery, almost brioche style dough. Unsalted was used here as this is fresher than salted, however, you could absolutely substitute salted butter in equal measure.
- Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar works best here adding a little sweetness to our dough
- Quark or cottage cheese: Quark is more commonly used in Central Europe due to it’s very light creaminess and a great substitute is cottage cheese which has the right tangy and creaminess.
- Jam: Plum or apricot jams are more traditional in kolaches and they both tastes great, a blueberry or blackberry would also be substitute in these.
- Raisins: Raisins or sultanas can be used in equal measure here and are traditional so are recommended to be included, unless you hate them, then you do you!
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment needed to make this
Greaseproof paper: Lining your baking tray will make sliding your Kolaches off easy!
Hand or stand mixer: To knead the dough a hand or stand mixer works best, though this can be done by hand.
Rolling pin: A rolling pin will help you roll out your dough nice and evenly before you shape them.
Flat bottomed glass: A flat bottomed glass will help you create a nice indent into your pastries.
Mixing bowl: A large mixing bowl is best to create that dough and proof it.
Cereal bowls: You'll need two cereal bowls to stir the creamy filling and streusal topping.
Baking tray: A flat baking tray (or two) will help you bake your kolaches easily.
More breakfast bread recipes
How to make Czech Koláce - Kolaches:
Place the milk, tablespoon of the sugar and yeast into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Set aside to activate for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour and softened butter to the yeast and knead on low to form a dough.
Knead on medium until you have a smooth dough, approximately 7 minutes.
The dough will still look slightly sticky, but when you touch it it or handle it to form into a ball, it should barely stick to your hands and that is when it’s ready to proof.
Lightly coat the base of your bowl with a little flour and place the dough therein.
Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray.
Meanwhile, place the quark or cottage cheese, sugar and egg into a bowl and stir to combine until smooth.
Once the dough has risen separate into 12 equal pieces.
Fold the center of the dough out to make a nice smooth ball and place on your work surface before repeating with the remaining dough.
Roll a ball of dough into a circle and press the center down with the base of a glass.
Push the dough towards the glass while it still pressed into your dough to form a nice high edge.
Smooth out the center of your dough and the edges.
Place the dough onto your baking tray.
Spoon the cheese filling into the center.
Top with the plum jam and brush over a little of the beaten egg over the dough.
If you are making the streusel topping, combine the butter, sugar and flour into a bowl until it resembles a rough crumble mixture.
Sprinkle the streusel topping over, if using.
Place into the oven and bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes.
Remove and place onto a cooling tray.
If using streusal, sprinkle over a little whilst your kolaches are still warm.
Repeat with your remaining dough until all your kolaches are complete.
Serve up and dig in!
Enjoy.
Czech Koláce - Kolaches
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 ½ hours (includes rising time)
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
- Category: Breads, Breakfast
- Cuisine: Czech
Description
Buttery style brioche pastry with a cream cheese and jam filling and topped with a streusal that makes this Czech Koláce - Kolaches recipe a perfect pick-me-up or even better breakfast treat.
Ingredients
Dough
7 grams / 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
250 milliliters / 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
70 grams / 5 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
564 grams / 3 ½ cups plain flour
½ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
2 eggs, room temperature
110 grams / 3.9 ounces butter, softened
Filling
250 grams / 8.8 ounces quark or cottage cheese
1 egg, room temperature
14 grams / 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
20 grams / 2 tablespoons raisins
338 grams / 1 cup plum or apricot jam
1 egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
Streusal topping (optional)
100 grams / ½ cup superfine/caster sugar
100 grams / ⅔ cup - 1 teaspoon plain flour
100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter, softened
Instructions
Dough
- Place the milk, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and yeast into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Set aside to activate for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining sugar, eggs, flour and softened butter to the yeast and knead with an electric mixer on low to form a dough.
- Knead on medium until you have a smooth dough, approximately 7 minutes.
- The dough will still look slightly sticky, but when you touch it it or handle it to form into a ball, it should barely stick to your hands and that is when it’s ready to proof.
- Lightly coat the base of your bowl with a little flour and place the dough therein.
- Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray.
Filling
- Meanwhile, place the quark or cottage cheese, sugar and egg into a bowl and stir to combine until smooth.
- Once the dough has risen, separate into 12 equal pieces.
- Fold the center of the dough out to make a nice smooth ball and place on your work surface before repeating with the remaining dough.
- Roll a ball of dough into a circle and press the center down with the base of a glass.
- Push the dough towards the glass while it still pressed into your dough to form a nice high edge.
- Smooth out the center of your dough and the edges.
- Place the dough onto your baking tray.
- Spoon the cheese filling into the center.
- Top with the plum jam and brush over a little of the beaten egg over the dough.
Streusal topping (optional)
- If you are making the streusel topping, combine the butter, sugar and flour into a bowl until it resembles a rough crumble mixture.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping over, if using.
- Place into the oven and bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove and place onto a cooling tray.
- If using streusal, sprinkle over a little whilst your kolaches are still warm.
- Repeat with your remaining dough until all your kolaches are complete.
- Serve up and dig in!
- Enjoy.
Notes
Adapted from several sources
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 kolache
- Calories: 398 calories per serve
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