Kolaches

Why this recipe works Brought to Texas by Czech immigrants, these palm-size sweet (and sometimes savory) pastries are a sibling to the Danish and are heaped with either a cheese or a fruit filling. The amount of pride Texans from all over the state have for these treats rivals that of New Yorkers for their bagels, and multiple towns claim the title “kolache capital” and hold kolache festivals. The dough for these much-beloved buns is enriched with eggs and butter (or sometimes shortening), very much like a brioche dough. We cobbled together a working recipe after tasting and trying multiple regional versions, but the base was a little tough and dry, so we upped the fat—by a lot. In addition to the egg, we added two egg yolks. And we nearly doubled the flavorful butter. The fat tenderized the dough and added moisture and richness. Many recipes call for mixing the dough gently, theoretically to keep the buns tender, but we found that lengthy kneading yielded a more supple dough that held air well, giving our kolaches a lighter crumb. For a cheese filling, we found a combination of tangy cream cheese and milkier, slightly salty ricotta was a perfect base, while a little sugar and lemon zest balanced the flavor; 1 tablespoon of flour bound this mix nicely. The finishing touch to these sweet treats is a simple streusel topping that we made by quickly rubbing together flour, sugar, and butter with our fingers. A greased and floured measuring cup makes even indentations for the filling in the formed pastries.

MAKES: 16 kolaches

RISING TIME: 3 to 4 hours

BAKING TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4½ to 5½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, 2 rimmed baking sheets, pastry brush

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH

• 3½ cups (17½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
• 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks, room temperature

FOR THE FILLING

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 6 ounces (¾ cup) whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese

FOR THE STREUSEL 

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, melted butter, sugar, and egg and yolks until the sugar has dissolved. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
2. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, about 10 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until it has increased in size by about half, for 1½ to 2 hours. If you refrigerate the dough before shaping, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.
4. In a clean mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, and lemon zest on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add ricotta and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, and butter. Rub the mixture between your fingers until it resembles wet sand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Press down on the dough to deflate it, then transfer it to a clean counter. Stretch the dough into an even 16-inch log and cut it into 16 equal pieces (about 2¼ ounces each). Cover the pieces loosely with greased plastic.
7. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keeping the remaining pieces covered), form a rough ball by stretching the dough around your thumbs and pinching the edges together so that the top is smooth. Place the ball seam side down on the counter and, using your cupped hand, drag it in small circles until the dough feels taut and round.
8. Arrange the dough balls seam side down on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1½ inches apart. Cover them loosely with greased plastic and let them rise until they have increased in size by about half, for 1½ to 2 hours.
9. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour the bottom of a round ⅓-cup dry measuring cup (or a 2¼-inch-diameter drinking glass). Press the cup firmly into the center of each dough round until the cup touches the sheet, making an indentation for the filling. Reflour the cup as needed to prevent sticking.
10. Divide the filling evenly among the kolaches, using about 1½ tablespoons for each. Smooth the filling with the back of a spoon. Gently brush the edges with an egg mixture and sprinkle them with the streusel (avoid sprinkling streusel over the filling). Bake the kolaches until they are golden brown, for about 25 minutes, switching and rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the kolaches to a wire rack and let them cool for 20 minutes. Serve them warm.

VARIATION:

FRUIT-FILLED KOLACHES

• Omit cream cheese filling. Combine 10 ounces frozen pineapple, blueberries, or cherries; 5 tablespoons sugar; and 4 teaspoons cornstarch in bowl. Microwave, covered, until bubbling and thickened, about 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving. Mash with potato masher. Let cool completely and fill kolaches as directed in step 10.