My family is Czech, so I make these often. I use softened butter instead of shortening. Using bread flour instead of AP makes for a lighter, flakier kolache. After you put the yeast in with the milk you need to let it sit atleast 10 minutes until it starts to foam. Also the milk temp should be close to 110 degrees (2 min in the micro is what it takes for me). Too hot and you kill the yeast, not hot enough it will not activate. Add about 3 cups of flour, form a ball, then take it out of the bowl and work the rest of the flour in on the counter. Add additional flour if necessary, but it should still be a little sticky. The reviewer that said this is a batter did something terribly wrong. This is a bread dough type of consistency. Don't "flatten the balls". Instead take your thumb and index fingers on both hands and push the dough out from the center. This will create a deep well with tall sides so that the filling doesn't ooze out. Then I brush mine with melted butter and fill with about a tablespoon or 2 of cherry pie filling (or whatever you like). I am impatient on the 2nd rise, so I place the kolaches in the oven with it on low (170 degrees) for 20 minutes. That will make the second rise go much faster. Then preheat the oven to 375 and bake for about 15 minutes. Should be light golden. I get the best results with an airbake cookie sheet. Dark colored ones will burn the bottoms of the Kolache. This recipe makes about 40 kolaches, not 72. I get 12 per cookie sheet.
Kolaces (or Kolaches) are big where I live in Central Texas due to the large Czech population... and they're one of the many reasons we native Texans are glad so many Czechs call Texas home! Kolaces are perfect for any occasion - my favorite filling is sweet cream cheese - to DIE for. This is a great basic recipe!
Awesome kolache recipe...seems like everyone who lives in my area thinks that a kolache is a sausage link wrapped in a bisquit.....do not use anything except for a metal pan...i used glass and a baking stone and it took forever to cook on there....the metal worked the best...if u use the metal pan only bake it for 12 min. otherwise they will burn
This recipe rates up there with the best of kolaches. Something I especially like about this one is the suggestion of leaving the kolache flat with a center indention filled with preserves. They are beautiful served on a tray this way and you can see what you are getting. My personal preferences are strawberry apricot & blackberry but the choices are limitless! Ummmmm good!
These turned out so great that my family all say they will never buy a kolache again! The dough was pretty gooey but I just added a little extra flour when handling it. I also added about 1/2 cup more sugar. Instead of brushing each ball with shortening I just greased a cookie sheet and they were excellent!
Just like my grandma used to make! I was trying to find her recipe but was unable to find it since she passed away. Thank you for this recipe. It has brought many happy memories to my family! I used apple almond mixed nut and cherry fillings and then topped it with a powdered sugar icing. Very very good!
These turned out great! I made them with peach blueberry and apricot preserves. The dough was a little sticky but a bit of flour on my hands fixed this. They were so delicious! Great recipe.
Good basic recipe! I substituted butter for the shortening and used lemon and apple pie fillings. I did not flatten them out prior to baking as I wanted a deep "well" for the fillings. They did puff up quite a bit in the oven!
I made these for my sons Czech Republic project at school. They had a nice taste and texture. Not too sweet. I had to add extra flour though to form a ball. I have never had these so I was surprised how big they were. I made exactly what the recipe called for and some where close to 3 inches wide. Wow!
This is not the kolache I am looking for..this is a batter and the kolaches I enjoy here in Texas are a dough. I made it per recipe and it was not good to me.More of a teacake batter that you had to pour off a spoon the preserves seeped out the bottom while cooking. A big mess.
