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PrintTraditional Czechoslovakian Kolaches
Hana Hillerova Harper’s Grandmother’s Recipe
Dough:
2 packages dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup warm water
2¼ teaspoons salt
6¼ cups all-purpose
flour, divided
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, divided
2 eggs, separated
Filling:
2 – 3 apples or peaches
2 tablespoons sugar
Raisins for garnish
Posypka:
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
¾ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and let stand. Heat milk in pot until hot to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup butter and ½ cup sugar. Cool to lukewarm, then add yeast mixture and slightly beaten egg yolks.
In large bowl, combine salt and 5¼ cups flour. Add yeast mixture and combine. Add additional cup of flour, a little at a time, until the dough is workable and not too sticky to take out of the bowl. Most of the time, I use the whole cup. Knead on floured board until glossy. Grease bowl; put dough in bowl, rolling it around to grease thoroughly. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough to ½-inch thick and cut into individual round kolaches with a biscuit cutter or round tool (we use round stemware from the bar, and press the bottom of the stem in the dough to make room for the filling). Place on a greased pan so as not to touch (kissing is okay and considered good luck in Czechoslovakia). Melt remaining ½ cup butter. Brush dough with melted butter and let rise again, covered.
Mix all posypka ingredients until crumbly.
Slice 2 – 3 apples or peaches and place in a pot. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and enough water to cover the bottom of the pot (about ¼ cup). Cook until tender but not mushy. Let cool.
Make an indentation in each kolache for filling. Fill with fruit, sprinkle with posypka, and garnish with a raisin. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove and brush with egg whites.
