Homemade Kolaches Recipe - Czech Kolaches

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A round, golden-brown moravian kolache with a crumb topping and a center filled with dark berry jam sits on a white plate. More pastries and a jar of jam are visible in the background featuring a kolaches recipe for Czech kolaches.

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4.50 from 4 votes

Homemade Kolaches Recipe - Czech Kolaches

This Kolaches Recipe brings traditional sweet pastries right to your kitchen with tender dough and creamy quark filling. Nothing beats biting into a warm kolach fresh from the oven with its tender bread, rich filling, and crunchy streusel topping!

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Rise Time1

Total Time1 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 packets (4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast)
pinch salt
1 cup milk
⅓ cup butter
2 egg yolks
2 cups quark
1 egg yolk
powdered sugar to taste
⅔ cup plum jam
rum or hot water to soften jam if too thick
⅓ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
dash cinnamon
¼ cup butter melted
1 egg

Instructions

Make the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine 1 ½ cups flour, whole wheat pastry flour, powdered sugar, yeast, and salt.
In a saucepan or microwave safe dish, heat milk and butter until warm (120°–130°F). Add to flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened.
Mix in egg yolks. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
Switch to the dough hook, and, on low speed, gradually add the remaining flour, adding more as necessary until dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides, but not the bottom.
Knead 8 minutes, until smooth but still slightly sticky. Shape into a ball. Place in greased bowl, turn. Cover and let rise until double, about 60 minutes.

Prepare Quark Filling

Mix together quark, egg yolk and powdered sugar. If necessary, thin plum jam.

Prepare Streusel Topping

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter with a fork until crumbs form. Set aside.

Finish Kolaches

Preheat oven to 350°.
When the dough is risen, divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, and then roll into a circle.
Fill each circle with quark filling. Wrap it into a “purse” shape.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put each kolach onto a prepared baking sheet with seam down.
Press each kolach in the middle. Brush it with egg wash and fill holes with plum filling. Sprinkle it with streusel topping.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

Oven Positioning: Bake the kolaches on the middle rack of your oven to ensure even browning and proper cooking of both the bottom and top of the pastries without over-browning the streusel topping.

Sealing Technique: Take extra care when sealing the dough around the filling to prevent leakage during baking - any gaps will allow the quark mixture to escape and create a mess in your oven.

Streusel Success: Mix the streusel topping just until crumbs form - overmixing will create a paste instead of the desired crumbly texture. Sprinkle generously over each kolach for the best crispy contrast to the soft pastry.

Storage Tips:

Store freshly baked kolaches in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Wrap individual kolaches tightly in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags for up to 3 months of frozen storage.

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