Kolaches are a Czechoslovakian pastry. Similar to a Danish, Kolaches have a dollop of fruit filling in the middle, but with a softer, fluffier, more roll like dough. We’re not Czech, but I saw a recipe for Kolaches in a magazine in 1997 and I’ve been making them for Christmas morning ever since.

This year I wanted to change things up a bit and I gave my Kolaches a fun, new shape. I saw rosette rolls on Frieda Loves Bread and thought they would be a perfect shape for Kolaches because they would hold more fruit filling.

The rolls are easy to shape. If the dough doesn’t want to stretch, just let it rest for a few minutes. You can make your own filling, but Lucky Leaf sent me cans of their delicious Premium Blackberry and Cherry pie fillings.

My daughter loved the blackberry, but my husband thought the cherry were even better. Between the 9 of us, we gobbled up all two dozen Kolaches before lunch. I served the Kolaches with Breakfast Hashbrown Casserole and fresh squeezed orange juice. It was a fabulous way to start the day.

I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season. For Christmas I received fun new baking gifts that I’m excited to share with you on the blog soon. Two little six cup bundt pans, donut pans, a panini maker, and 3 new cookbooks, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and from my sweet adopted daugher, Lorraine, Not Quite Nigella, a fun new cookie cookbook, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich.

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Yield: 12 kolaches

Blackberry and Cherry Kolaches

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Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 - 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
• 1 package rapid rise (instant) yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 cup fruit filling (homemade or canned)

Instructions

1. Mix 1 1/2 cup bread flour, whole wheat pastry flour, wheat gluten, and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade.
2. Heat milk and butter until butter melts and mixture is warm (130º). Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.
3. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture. Add orange juice, egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat at low speed until well combined.
4. Switch to the dough hook, on speed 2 gradually add the remaining bread flour (add more or less as necessary) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead until smooth about 8 minutes, but still slightly sticky. Shape into a ball. Place in greased bowl, turn. Cover, let rise until double approximately 60–90 minutes.
5. Punch down, let rest 10 minutes, divide dough in to 12 pieces and shape into desired shapes. Keep dough covered with a damp cloth while shaping rolls.
6. Cover. Let rise until double (30 - 45 minutes).
7. Preheat oven to 400.
8. After second rising, make an indention in the center of the rolls with the end of a wooden spoon. (Be careful not to flatten it too much or poke a hole through the dough.) Fill with approximately one tablespoon of fruit filling.
9. Optional: Make egg wash by mixing an egg white with 2 teaspoons water and lightly brushing some of it over the rolls.
10. Bake at 400º for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

More special occasion recipes you might enjoy:

Overnight Monkey Bread, Barbara Bakes
Citrus Cranberry Cream Cheese Danish Braid, Barbara Bakes
Orange Glazed Apple Lattice Coffee Cake, Life’s A Feast
Garam Masala Fruit Cake, Passionate About Baking
French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping, Vintage Mixer
Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls, Completely Delicious