I Recently Learned that Everyone Outside of Texas has Been Deprived of the Most Delicious Invention Ever!

If you are outside of Texas, I apologize.

I recently discovered that most people who do not live in Texas (or Central Europe) have never had the experience of tasting a kolache.  Let me start by explaining what a kolache is, it is essentially heaven wrapped in dough then baked to perfection.  Growing up in Texas, I have always taken Kolaches for granted, assuming that everyone had these available as a breakfast item.  For those of you who have not had the pleasure, I apologize, but here are two Kolache recipes, the 1st is a Texas Kolache recipe and the 2nd is a European Kolache.

To make a traditional Texas Kolache:

(This recipe can be found on food.com)

Ingredients:

This will yield 2 1/2 dozen kolaches

For the sponge:

• ¹⁄₄cup water (warm- about 115 degrees)
• ¹⁄₂cup sugar
• 4 ¹⁄₂teaspoons yeast
• 1cup milk (warm- about 115 degrees)
• 1 ³⁄₄cups flour

After the initial 1 hour:

• ¹⁄₂cup Crisco (melted and cooled a bit)
• ¹⁄₄cup warm milk
• 1 ¹⁄₂teaspoons salt
• 2egg yolks
• 2 ¹⁄₄cups flour

Filling:

• 30Little Smokies sausages
• 30slices American cheese(sliced approximately the same size as the sausage.)
• 2 ¹⁄₂dozen canned jalapeno slices (optional)

Egg wash:

• 1egg
• 2tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Beat together warm water, sugar, yeast, 1 cup warm milk and 1 3/4 cups flour thoroughly and let stand for 1 hour.
2. (I usually make the sponge in a large metal bowl, and let it sit in a barely warm oven for the hour. I preheat my oven to 170, then open the door of it to let some of the heat escape for about 3 to 5 minutes. BE SURE TO TURN YOUR OVEN OFF! I cover the bowl with a clean flour sack towel and pop it in.).
3. Add Crisco, 1/4 cup warm milk, salt, egg yolks and 2 1/4 cups flour. Beat well and let rise until double in bulk.
4. ( when I put the sponge in the barely warmed oven, I microwave the Crisco. It’s really hot, so I let it stand out while the sponge is percolating. If you put the Crisco in when it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. The results are not pretty, lol. I usually use butter flavored Crisco.).
5. Then work down (stir it with a wooden spoon. It releases all the “air” trapped in it. The dough will be very soft, and a little sticky.).
6. Make the parts for each sausage roll. Cover the sausage and cheese with the dough you have patted out.( I use a silpat, and pat each golf ball size blob down to a rectangle about 3 inches by 5 inches and about 1/4 of an inch thick.) Make sure to seal the cheese and sausage up well, and place the seam side down on the sheet pan.
7. (It’s hard to put an exact measurement on this because some like to use the big sausages, and others the little smokies. I usually use about a golf ball size for the sausages that are about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Any more, and I have way too much breading around the sausage. This dough really grows after the 2nd rise.).
8. Beat the egg and water together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the tops of the kolaches. (This makes them a beautiful golden brown. I usually reserve the 2 egg whites that I separate from the yolks for the dough and it has worked like a charm for me.).
9. Let rise 15 minutes. (I’ve found that 15 minutes is plenty, because the kolaches continue to puff up in the oven. I’ve left them overnight, and it caused the bread to be too spongy, and they went stale very quickly.).
10. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

 

Though this is a recipe for Sausage, Cheese, and Jalapeno Kolaches, you can put almost ANYTHING in your kolaches, we certainly do in Texas!  Here are some ideas:

Central European Jam Kolaches:                           

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup strawberry jam

• 1/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions: