You say koláče or koláček... I say kolaches !

(Top Clockwise, Poppyseed, Fig, Apricot, Blackberry, Cream Cheese)

Sometimes there is a fine line between cakes, breads, and pastries. The Czech koláč (koláče plural) –- the hacek mark over the letter “c” makes it a guttural “ch” -— consists of a large sweet yeast dough round topped with pools of a sweet mixture (or several types), while its diminutive koláček (koláčky plural) denotes smaller individual versions. In America, the names were anglicized, depending on the part of the country, as kolache or kolacky (typically used for both large and small cakes as well as both plural and singular).
Many Czech families had their own secret kolache recipe handed down from generation to generation, mothers and grandmothers assiduously instructing the young girls. The dough, abounding with butter, should be rather dense, not fluffy. Some prefer a plain flavor, while others add a hint of spice or lemon zest to the dough. Most traditional versions call for three risings, but some aficionados insist that five risings are necessary for proper texture and flavor. Modern cookie adaptations, particularly prominent among Poles, use sour cream or cream cheese pastry dough instead of the traditional yeast, but the latter remains the most common and authentic.

Round breads are some of the earliest of ritual foods, variously symbolizing the sun, moon, and female. In this vein, the Slavonic word for wheel (kolo) gave its name to an ancient Eastern and Central European ritual round savory bread loaf. Then, around the 15th century with the arrival in Eastern Europe of yeast breads enriched with butter, eggs, and sugar (the first light cakes in the region), the name kolo was applied to round sweetened yeast loaves enjoyed for celebrations from the Balkans to the Baltic Sea, including the Polish kolacz (pronounced kowatch), Russian kulich, Ukrainian kolač, Serbo-Croatian kolač, Hungarian kalacs, and Yiddish koyletch (an early synonym for egg challah, considered a cake by Sephardic Jews). Distinct from the unadorned yeast cakes of Eastern Europe (or those additionally flavored with raisins), varieties from Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovenia were paired with povidla (plum butter made from cooking down Italian plums without the addition of sweeteners). Some speculate that originally people simply spread the beloved povidla on chunks of baked sweet bread to enhance the gastronomic experience. Then around the 18th century bakers began making indentations in the dough rounds before baking and filling them with povidla, resulting in a sort of a massive ‘prune Czech’ (instead of Danish). The radiating pockets of topping actually looks more like a wheel. Related to kolache are Czech buchty (buchta singular), a bun with the sweet mixture enclosed inside. The rich dough is also wrapped around a large sausage (klobasnek).

Besides plum (slivkóvý koláče or povidlové koláče), two other venerable central European baking favorites became traditional Old-World kolache toppings: Poppy seed (makový koláče) and cheese (tvaroh koláče). These items were easily produced by families with even only a little land and capable of extended storage to be on hand when needed for various treats. Regular jam cannot be used for kolache as it soaks into the dough and boils over during baking. In Europe, Czechs used a form of the Teutonic quark for the cheese topping and, in 19th century America, substituted drained clabber; more recently, cream cheese and/or farmer cheese emerged as the principal cheese. More modern toppings include apricot, blueberry, cherry, lemon, pineapple, and raisin. For a dazzling presentation, each indentation of a large cake round is filled with a different flavor and color. A relatively recent innovation is an optional streusel topping known as posipka.

Perhaps the first mention of this treat outside central Europe was in Leaves From My Journal During Summer of 1851 by Robert Grosvenor (London, 1852): “Outside the sacred precincts [of ritual baked goods] there are such things as Kugellhopf, a species of Baba, and Bohmische kolatchen [the German plural spelling], a local luxury, made of heavier materials, sometimes a little cheese finding its way into it; excellent in their way, but not to be thought of by the docile water-drinker; the latter he must not approach till he has left off drinking six weeks.”

Czech immigrants began arriving in central Texas in the 1840s, with many more following in the ensuing four decades, founding in that state more than 250 small communities, constituting the largest rural Czech population in America. Significant numbers of Czechs also settled in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and other parts of the Midwest. Although most quickly adopted American fare, they tended to continue to enjoy certain traditional foods, in particular kolache. In Europe, home ovens were exceedingly rare, whereas in America they were commonplace, facilitating home baking. In Europe, these treats contained very expensive ingredients (sugar, eggs, butter, and white flour) and were initially reserved for very special occasions, specifically Epiphany and, along with masquerades and dances, on Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) in the pre-Lenten festivities. For Christmas there might be depressions in a large round cake for candles. Traditionally, newly engaged women sent small kolache with three toppings to family and friends as an invitation to the wedding. 

In America, kolache became common not only for all special events but also as a beloved comfort food and vehicle for ethnic identification. Czechs in America enjoyed their coffee with kolache, becoming a way of entertaining neighbors and making more bearable the hardships and isolation of farm life. These treats became ubiquitous at church dinners and bazaars. Many Czechs in America grew their own poppies to ensure an adequate supply of seeds for the topping (Minnesota: A State Guide Federal Writers’ Project, 1938) and numerous families bottled their own povidla. Others had to make do with stewing prunes. A “kolache odor” was considered the characteristic aroma of Midwestern Czech homes.

- Gil Marks

Dough Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast ( 1¾ teaspoons instant yeast )
• 1 cup warm milk (105 to 115°F for dry yeast; 80 to 85°F for fresh yeast)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs 
• 6 tbsp granulated sugar 
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest and/or ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• About 4 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour 

Egg Wash Ingredients

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tsp cream, milk, or water

Cheese Topping Ingredients

• 16 oz.  cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar or more to taste 
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Poppy Seed Topping Ingredients

• 2 cups poppy seeds
• 1 cup milk 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)

Prune Topping Ingredients

• 1 lb. pitted prunes, or 8 ounces pitted prunes and 8 dried pitted cherries 
• 2 cups water 
• About 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or prune juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)

Apricot Topping Ingredients

• 2 cups dried apricots 
• 1 cup orange juice (or 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice) 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or honey 
• 1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice or dark rum

Blueberry Topping Ingredients

• 1/3 cup  granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp.  cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2 cups  blueberries
• 2 tbsp.  lemon juice

Cherry Filling Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups reserved cherry juice
• 28 ounces  pitted sour cherries

Posipka Ingredients (optional)

• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

In a small bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup milk. If using instant yeast, do not dissolve it yet-- reserve.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the remaining milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and, if using, zest and/or mace. Blend in 1½ cups flour. If using instant yeast, add it now

Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a workable dough.

On a lightly floured surface or in a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough until smooth and springy, about 5 minutes.

Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.

Cover with a kitchen towel or loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight

Punch down the dough, knead briefly, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1¼ hours

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheet. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, divide in half, form into balls, and let stand for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ½ inch thick. Cut into 2½-inch rounds. Reroll and cut out the scraps

Place on parchment paper-lined or greased baking sheets about 1 inch apart, cover with a towel or plastic wrap spritzed with cooking spray, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F for a convection oven). Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, press 1 large or 2 smaller deep indentations into the center of each round, leaving a ½-inch wide-rim. Brush the edges with the egg wash

Bake until golden brown or the center of the dough registers about 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.