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Traditional Czech Kolache Recipe

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Learn how to make Traditional Czech Kolache with our step-by-step recipe. Kolaches feature sweet, pillowy yeast dough filled with mouthwatering fruit preserves or cream cheese, and savor the delightful taste of a time-honored Central European pastry. 

One apricot kolache and one blueberry on a plate.

What are Kolaches?

Kolaches, also known as koláče or koláčky, are a bread “wheel” filled with a sweet filling. This is a rich dough with a texture that is very similar to a brioche bread. Traditional fillings include; prune, poppy seed, nut, cottage cheese, pineapple, apricot, apple, cherry, and plum. Pretty much any flavor you can think of!

What is the origin of kolaches?

Czech immigrants brought with them their rich culinary traditions, including the beloved kolache pastry in the late 1800s. These immigrants settled in various regions of the United States, with notable Czech communities in places like central Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, and other Midwestern states.

In areas with significant Czech influences, you can often find bakeries and shops specializing in traditional Czech pastries. The recipes may have evolved and adapted to local tastes, and have become a part of the diverse tapestry of American cuisine.

One traditional blueberry kolache and one apricot on a plate.

Ingredients

  • Combination of lukewarm milk and water – whole or 2% works best
  • Active dry yeast
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsalted butter and egg yolk add richness to this sweet dough
  • All-purpose flour
  • Fruit filling: All-natural fruit preserves, fruit jams, or your favorite filling. 
  • Melted butter or egg wash (one beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream) 

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

A plate full of blueberry and apricot kolaches.

How to make Kolaches

In a small bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), combine the warm milk and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.

Kolaches yeast cookingwithcurls.com

If it foams up and we know that the yeast is still alive!

Kolaches proofed cookingwithcurls.com

Pour the warm milk, sugar, yeast mixture, and softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer…..or a large mixing bowl if you are doing this by hand.

Liquid ingredients in a mixing bowl.

add 2 cups of flour and salt, and mix together.

Flour and salt added to the  liquid ingredients in mixing bowl.

add the beaten egg yolks and remaining flour.

Eggs added to the mixture.

Mix until dough comes together.

If mixing by hand, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Kolache dough mixed in stand mixer bowl.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it doubles in size.

Mixing bowl covered with a kitchen towel to rise.

See, nice a puffy after about an hour.

Puffy kolache dough after it has risen in a mixing bowl.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 24 dough balls. Roll each portion into a ball or oval shape, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone liner.

Twenty four kolache balls on a silicone lined baking sheet.

Dip your finger or thumb in cooled, melted butter and make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball to form “wells”, and fill it with your choice of fruit preserves or cream cheese filling.

Indentations made in the center of each dough ball on a baking sheet.

Let sit for 15 minutes.

Fruit filled kolaches rising on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush edges with butter.

Allow the kolache to cool in the baking pan, on a wire rack before serving.

Baked blueberry and apricot kolaches on a baking sheet.

Feel free to experiment with different fillings and toppings to suit your taste and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

An apricot kolache split in two sitting on a plate.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese, softened
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • Lemon zest (optional) for added flavor

In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to blend the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Add the egg yolk to the cream cheese mixture and continue to mix until well combined. Be careful not to overmix; just blend until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball and add a spoonful of cream cheese filling.

FAQ’s

Can kolaches be made ahead of time?

Yes. You can prepare the dough and fillings ahead of time and store separately in the refrigerator, then assemble and bake the next day for fresh kolache.

Can I freeze kolaches?

Absolutely! You can freeze both unbaked and baked kolaches. If freezing unbaked kolaches, assemble them and freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid. For baked kolaches, cool them completely and store in a freezer-safe container.

How do you store leftover kolaches?

Store leftover kolaches in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to one month.

What is the difference between kolaches and klobasnek?

While both are popular Czech pastries, kolaches are sweet and typically filled with fruit or sweet cheese, while klobasnek is savory and filled with ingredients like sausage, cheese, or other savory fillings.

Recipe Inspiration

There are three main foods that everyone talks about when you move to Iowa; pork tenderloins, Maidrite (loose meat) sandwiches, and Traditional Czech Kolaches! They even have a Kolache Festival every year where you will find thousands of kolaches for sale.

My favorite flavors are pineapple, apricot, and apple, but I didn’t want to make my own fillings. I knew blueberry was a must, and the apricot preserves where sitting on the shelf right next to them.

Recipes for this month’s Aquarius meal

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Enjoy!!

apricot and blueberry kolaches sitting on a gray and white zigzag plate

Traditional Czech Kolaches

Learn how to make Traditional Czech Kolache with our step-by-step recipe featuring a pillowy yeast dough filled with sweet apricot or blueberry fruit preserves.
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Rate
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: Czech
Keyword: sweet rolls recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rising TIme: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 24 Servings
Calories: 170kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

  • 0.5 cup warm water 110°F
  • 1.5 cups warm milk 110°F – you can use coconut milk
  • 4.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 large egg yolks beaten
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • all-natural fruit preserves I used blueberry and apricot but any flavor will work
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons melted butter for brushing tops

Instructions

  • In a small bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), combine the warm milk and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
  • Pour the warm milk, sugar, yeast mixture, and softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer…..or a *large mixing bowl if you are doing this by hand.
  • Add 2 cups of flour and salt, and mix together, then add the beaten egg yolks and remaining flour. Mix until dough comes together.
  • *If mixing by hand, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until it doubles in size.
  • Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 24 dough balls. Roll each portion into a ball or oval shape, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone liner.
  • Dip your finger or thumb in cooled, melted butter and make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball to form “wells”, and fill it with your choice of fruit preserves or cream cheese filling. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush edges with butter.
  • Allow the kolaches to cool in the baking pan, on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

  • The traditional fillings for Czech Kolaches are: prune, plum, poppy seed, cream cheese, pineapple, nut, cherry, blueberry, apricot, and apple. See post for cream cheese filling recipe.
  • Store leftover kolaches in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to one month in a freezer-safe container.
  • If freezing unbaked kolaches, assemble them and freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid.
  • You can prepare the dough and fillings ahead of time and store separately in the refrigerator, then assemble and bake the next day for fresh kolache.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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17 Comments

    1. Yes, they are kinda like a danish Eric. They are just smaller, which is a good thing, and they don’t have a glaze on top…which is also probably a good thing! 😉

    1. I had never heard of them before I moved to Iowa, but they are in just about every bakery here! You can even buy them in some gas stations. 🙂 They are really good if you are looking for something different to serve.

  1. They are also called “vartushka” in Russian. Usually kolaches in translation mean shaped in a ring dough, kind alike bangles. Looks like you did a perfect job 🙂

  2. This looks delicious! There is a small business near me that sells only kolaches but other than this one store I’ve never heard of them or had them. They are sooo delicious at that restaurant though so I would love to try them myself at home sometime! Thank you for sharing it, I am definitely pinning it for the future!

  3. Love these, I’m a transplant to Northern Iowa as well, they have such great desserts. Thanks for posting, I’m going to give it a try! What part of this frigid state do you hail from?
    Hugs-Kari

    P.S. I’m thinking I’ll follow you!

  4. Hi Lisa! These look so good!! My grandfather was Czech, so we had LOTS of kolaches growing up. 🙂 I’m going to print this recipe. I absolutely love the apricot ones! Hope you have a wonderful week!

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