A Texan Chef’s Secrets for Pillowy Soft Berry and Sweet Cheese Kolaches

For this sweet version of kolaches, a soft, yeasted dough is heaped with your choice of a berry or cheese filling.

• Enriching the dough with milk, butter, and egg yolks, gives the kolaches a pillowy, tender texture.
• Rubbing the streusel topping mixture together by hand creates a sandy texture that’s easy to sprinkle on top of each pastry.
• Brushing the shaped raw dough pieces with egg wash before baking enhances browning and creates an attractive sheen on the kolaches.

The best thing about being from Texas is that there are so many ways to be a Texan. Texas has a diverse culinary background—it’s not all just smoked ribs and brisket down here. You will find numerous cuisines celebrated throughout the state, many of which were brought here by different immigrant populations. A dish that embodies the Lone Star State’s fusion of cuisines is the kolache. Originating from the Czech Republic as a popular Easter treat, these pillowy soft pastries are popular throughout Texas all year long. Texan versions are often heaped with the traditional Czech sweet fillings like fruit jam, poppy seeds, or a sweet cheese, while savory versions in Texas can be filled with just about anything (I’ll get into that below).

In the mid-1800s Czech immigrants started settling in Texas. (According to the Texas State Historical Association, the abundance of good, relatively inexpensive farmland in Texas undoubtedly provided the chief motivation for this wave of Czech immigrants.) By the early 1900s Czech bakeries were found throughout the state. Kolaches became a staple breakfast and snack for locals and tourists alike. Today kolaches are everywhere up and down Highway 35, the artery that runs through the state from top to bottom.

As a kid from Garland, Texas, I have a lot of fond memories of taking adolescent road trips with my friends to the exciting city of Austin, and a highlight of these excursions was always stopping by the city of West along the way to pick up kolaches before hitting Travis County. Czech Stop in West was (and still is) one of my favorite kolache bakeries. Their kolaches are bursting with fruit fillings, including strawberry, blueberry, and apricot. 

Kolaches are still one of my favorite comfort foods and I’m thankful that now as an adult I can wake up any morning in Austin and drive ten minutes to a bakery where I have my pick of kolaches with a variety of creative, flavorful fillings. But for those of you who aren’t in Texas or within driving distance of a Czech bakery, my recipe below is a great stand-in for that experience.

Different Types of Kolaches

In Austin, the city that’s been my home now for many years, you can have your pick of great kolaches with a range of fillings. As mentioned above, you’ll find kolaches with traditional Czech fillings like apricot, poppy seed, berry, plum, and sweet cheese—both separately or sometimes fruit and cheese baked together in one kolache—but you’ll also see an array of savory kolaches, with their own Texan spin on them, including ones stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese, as well as my favorite, boudin—a rice and pork sausage originally from Louisiana. 

As a Texan chef, I’ve even put my own creative spin on kolaches for the supper clubs I host. I’ll serve South Indian–style kolaches, including one filled with confit whole carrots and another with mango- and saffron-infused cream cheese. I’m currently working on a recipe for a savory kolache filled with brûléed queso. The point is that in Texas, there’s no wrong way to fill a kolache.

The Kolache Fillings

While kolaches fillings can run the gamut, and there’s endless room for creativity with them, my recipe below is a classic take on sweet kolaches. I’ve included two traditional filling options: strawberry jam (but you can substitute with your preferred berry) and a sweetened cream cheese filling. The fillings are both simple to prepare and can be made a couple of days before you’re planning to fill and bake the kolaches. Each filling recipe is written to make enough for a full batch of kolaches, but if you’d like to make both, halve each filling to prepare six of each (or double the dough for a full batch of each).

The Kolache Dough

While kolaches are considered pastries, they aren’t made with a classic flaky, crumbly pastry dough. Instead, kolache dough is an enriched bread dough that’s pillowy and light, but still has a distinct bread-like chew that’s sturdy enough to support a generous portion of filling. To achieve the right dough texture, the yeasted dough is enriched with milk, egg yolks, and butter. The added fat of all three ingredients coats the flour during kneading, which limits the gluten development slightly to create a more tender dough. A lengthy kneading of the dough in the stand mixer traps air in the dough, so when proofed and baked the dough has a light, springy texture.

The resulting dough is soft enough that when shaped into round buns and gently pressed down in the center, the buns will hold their scooped shape for the fillings to be nestled into. I recommend using the bottom of a greased two and a half– to three-inch diameter mug, glass jar, or measuring cup to get a perfectly round indentation.

Finishing the Kolaches

Once the kolaches are shaped, the edges are brushed with an egg wash to enhance browning in the oven and to create an attractive sheen, just like my favorite bakery versions. A heaping tablespoon of the filling of your choice is added to the divet in each bun. Once filled, the kolaches get a generous sprinkle of a cinnamon-spiked streusel topping known in Czech as posypka, then all 12 kolaches are fit onto one sheet tray. It’s not only OK but actually preferred that their edges touch and fuse together while baking—another “fresh from the bakery” visual cue.

Let them cool for at least 30 minutes so the filling can firm up, then enjoy them warm or at room temperature. These sweet pastries are a great addition to any holiday breakfast spread and are also wonderful as an afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

Recipe Details

A Texan Chef’s Secrets for Pillowy Soft Berry and Sweet Cheese Kolaches

Prep 2 hrs 30 mins Cook 30 mins Cooling Time: 30 mins Total 3 hrs 30 mins Serves 12 Makes 12 kolaches Save Print Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Jam (see notes):

• 1 pound (453 g) strawberries, trimmed and halved

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice from 1 lemon 

• 2/3 cup sugar (4.5 ounces; 130 g)

• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup of sugar (1.75 ounces; 50 g)

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

For the Posypka (Streusel Topping):

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (1 2/3 ounces; 50 g)

• 1/4 cup sugar (2.16 ounces; 60 g)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter (28 g), cut into 4 pieces, softened

For the Kolache Dough:

• 240 ml (1 cup) warm milk

• 85 g (6 tablespoons) melted butter

• 2 egg yolks

• 420 g all-purpose flour (15 ounces; 3 cups)

• 9.5 g instant dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

• 100 g sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 1/2 cup)

• 3 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1 teaspoon); for table salt use half as much by volume

• 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon milk for the egg wash

Directions

1. If Making With Strawberry Filling: In a small saucepan add strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until berries break down, mixture thickens, spatula leaves trail that does not fill in immediately and jam is reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Let cool off heat for 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or clean glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

   

2. If Making With Cream Cheese Filling: In a food processor, add cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Process until well combined and sugar dissolves, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the food processor jar as needed. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready for use.

3. For the Posypka (Streusel topping): In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, and cinnamon to combine. Add butter and rub between fingers until mixture resembles wet sand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

   

4. For the Kolaches Dough: In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, and egg yolks to combine (butter may form clumps; this is fine).

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to combine. Fit stand mixer with dough hook, and with mixer running on low speed, slowly pour milk mixture into flour mixture, and knead on low speed until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough clears sides of bowl but still sticks to bottom, 8 to 12 minutes.

   

6. Transfer dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof at warm room temperature (70 to 74℉) until dough it doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

7. Once dough has risen, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃). Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into a 3-inch wide log, then cut and portion dough into twelve 2-ounce pieces.

   

8. Form each dough piece into a rough ball by pinching and pulling dough edges under so that top is smooth. On clean counter, cup each ball with your palm and roll into smooth, tight ball.

9. Arrange dough balls on prepared parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced evenly apart in 3 rows of 4. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature until puffed up but not quite doubled in size, 30 to 60 minutes.

   

10. Grease the bottom of a glass jar, cup, or a measuring cup with 2 1/2- to 3-inch diameter, and make a deep indentation in center of each dough ball by slowly pressing cup into the dough on sheet. The indentations should be deep enough to fit about 1 tablespoon of filling.

11. Brush prepared egg wash evenly over the dough. Divide your choice of either the strawberry or cheese filling evenly among kolaches (about 1 heaping tablespoon per kolache) and smooth with back of spoon. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over kolaches.

    

12. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. The kolaches' edges will touch and fuse together when baking. Let buns cool on pan for at least 30 minutes, then carefully pull apart. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Special Equipment

Small saucepan, food processor, 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, stand mixer with dough hook attachment, parchment paper, a glass jar, cup, or a measuring cup with 2 1/2- to 3-inch diameter

Notes

This recipe can be easily doubled and baked in batches.

The two most common kolache fillings are fruit jam and cheese. This recipe includes both filling options, with each filling recipe written to make enough for a full batch. If you’d like to make both, halve each filling recipe to prepare 6 of each or double the dough to make a full batch of each.

Store-bought fruit jam of your choice may be substituted for freshly made, but you may need to reduce it further in order to get a thick enough consistency that the jam doesn't run out of the kolaches while baking.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The fillings can be made and refrigerated for up to 4 days before using. 

The baked kolaches can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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