There aren’t too many foods that really tug at my homesick Texan heartstrings the way kolaches do. Kolaches are a Czech pastry made of tender, brioche-like bread filled with sweetened cream cheese, fruit, or, if you’re lucky, a combination of both. As popular and beloved as they are in Texas, they are not very well-known once you leave the state.
This is a recipe I make when I miss my Saturday morning kolaches more than I can bear. It also happens to be a real crowd-pleaser, whether you grew up with the pastry or not (think of them like the Texan equivalent of mini danishes). Once you get comfortable with the dough, you can start to experiment with other fillings (both sweet and savory).
Why you’ll love it
- The pillowy, brioche-like dough makes the perfect base for sweetened cream cheese and jam.
- While some kolaches are baked far enough apart that they don’t touch, I find that this pull-apart method keeps the dough extra tender — and makes it more fun to serve.
All about kolaches
Kolaches have been ingrained in Texas’ food culture for a long time. By the early 1900s, over 15,000 Czech people had immigrated to Texas, bringing koláč (round yeasted dough pastries) with them. Texas highways are peppered with bakeries and rest stops all claiming to make the best kolaches in the state (they’re all delicious, FYI). There is a savory version, most traditionally stuffed with sausage and cheese and maybe a little jalapeño, called a klobasnek — although many Texans refer to all of them as kolaches.
Traditional kolache fillings you’d expect to find include cream cheese, poppy seed, prune, lemon, and apricot. Over time, bakeries have created their own interpretations, with fillings like strawberry-rhubarb, Texas barbecue brisket, crawfish étouffée, and honey butter chicken (a nod to Whataburger, another Texas institution). In Houston and Southeast Texas, boudin sausage is a common — and phenomenal — filling.
Key ingredients in kolaches
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to create the dough.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast gives the fluffy pastries their rise.
- Eggs: Yolks are added to the dough for richness; use the whites for an egg wash.
- Cream cheese: Lighten sweetened cream cheese with a little sour cream mixed in.
- Jam: Any preserves will work; I like to use a combination so there are multiple flavors to try.
- Poppy seeds: Sprinkling the dough with poppy seeds isn’t the most traditional, but I love the crunch and the nod to another classic kolache filling: sweet poppy seed.
Helpful swaps
- Instead of cream cheese and jam, try traditional fillings like sweetened poppy seed, prune, or any filling you like (I love sour cherries or guava paste with cream cheese).
- Top with a simple streusel instead of poppyseeds, or simply skip them.
- Spread the kolaches out on a parchment-lined baking sheet for wider, rounder kolaches with a more all-over crust.
Jam and Cream Cheese Texas Kolaches
Serves 6 to 12; makes 12
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
4 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1 (1/4-ounce) packet dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 medium lemon
3 tablespoons apricot, strawberry, peach, or blueberry jam
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
1. Place 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, and 1 (1/4-ounce) packet dry active yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk to combine. Heat 1/2 cup of the whole or 2% milk in the microwave (about 30 seconds) or on the stovetop until warm to the touch (100 F to 110 F). Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut 6 tablespoons unsalted butter into small cubes and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until the butter is melted, 30 to 60 seconds total. (Alternatively, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and whisk to combine. Separate 2 large eggs, placing the yolks in the butter mixture and the whites in a separate small bowl. Whisk the yolks into the butter mixture until combined.
3. When the yeast mixture is ready, add in the egg yolk mixture and remaining 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. Knead with the dough hook attachment on medium speed until the dough is soft, smooth, and forms a ball, 2 to 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40 to 60 minutes.
4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with butter, then line with parchment paper with enough overhang to clear the edge of the plate by 1/2 inch. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 1 1/2 ounces each), then roll each one into a smooth ball. Place in the pie plate, spacing them evenly apart. Use your finger to press a dimple into the center of each dough ball.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375 F. Juice 1 medium lemon into a small bowl until you have 1 tablespoon. Add 3 tablespoons apricot, strawberry, peach, or blueberry jam, and stir to combine. (Alternatively, divide the lemon juice evenly between several bowls and add a different jam flavor to each.)
6. Place 4 ounces cream cheese in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until very soft, 15 to 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch kosher salt; stir until combined. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag.
7. When the dough is ready, use your fingers to make a 1-by-1-inch well in the center of each proofed dough ball. Snip a 1/2-inch triangle from one bottom corner of the bag with kitchen shears. Pipe each well with the cream cheese mixture, stopping when you reach the top of the well (about 1 tablespoon each). Top each well with 1 teaspoon of the jam filling (alternate flavors if using multiple). If any filling spills over, gently widen the dough well with the back of a spoon so it fits.
8. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar to the reserved egg whites and whisk to combine. Brush onto the exposed dough and sprinkle the brushed dough with poppy seeds.
9. Bake until the kolaches are golden-brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part not touching the filling registers at least 195 F, 20 to 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and tent loosely with aluminum foil if the kolaches are browning too quickly. Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe notes
Ingredient/equipment variations: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make the dough in a large bowl. Mix the ingredients together with a spatula until combined, then knead by hand on a work surface until a soft, smooth, ball forms, about 10 minutes.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, about 30 seconds.
(Rachel Perlmutter is a culinary producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)