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close up view of fruit and cheese kolache on black plate
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4.96 from 65 votes

Homemade Kolache Recipe

This is an easy homemade kolache recipe with your choice of fruit or sweetened cheese filling. Fresh out of the oven, your family will swoon over these pastries!
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Marie

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 10 tablespoons butter , melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3.5 cups all purpose flour (17.5 ounces)* (up to 4 cups)
  • 1/3 cup sugar (2.3 ounces)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the cheese filling:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 3 tablespoons sugar**
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest grated
  • 6 ounces ricotta cheese (3/4 cup)

For the fruit filling

  • 10 ounces pineapple , blueberries, cherries, or other berries (fresh or frozen)
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch

For the streusel topping:

  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar plus 2 teaspoons
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces and chilled

For the egg wash

  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the dough (makes 16 kolaches):

  • Combine milk, butter and eggs together in measuring cup (will be lumpy)
  • Combine dry ingredients (ie, flour, sugar, yeast, salt) in the bowl of a standing mixer then add milk mixture from step 1 and knead for 2 minutes on low speed
  • Increase speed to medium and continue kneading for 8 to 12 minutes until dough no longer sticks to side of bowl
  • Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight in a covered bowl

For the cheese filling (enough for 16):

  • Combine all ingredients except for ricotta and mix well for about 1 minute. Add ricotta and mix for another 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate until needed

For the streusal:

  • Combine all ingredients and mix together with fingers. Cover and refrigerate until needed

For the fruit filling (enough for 16):

  • Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Microwave on high for about 6 to 8 minutes and stir halfway through cooking.

To assemble and bake

  • If refrigerating the dough overnight: The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Then continue with the following steps.
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Gently punch down the dough and then divide dough into 16 equal size portions and form balls.
  • Arrange on prepared pans, cover with plastic, and allow to rest in a warm place for 1.5 hours. Please note that cold dough (if you refrigerated it) may need a longer second rise - up to 2 hours - until visibly puffy and soft.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Grease and flour the bottom of a 1/3 cup dry measure or a glass with a 2 1/4 inch diameter and use to make deep indents on top of each ball until bottom of measure touches baking sheet (see photo)
  • Fill each indentation with about 1.5 tablespoons of filling (if you are making both cheese and fruit filling, you will need only half of each filling recipe)
  • Brush tops of each pastry with egg wash, and then sprinkle sides with streusel
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (do not over bake - you want them very pale in color) and let cool for about 20 minutes.
  • Serve warm

Video

Notes

Make Ahead:

You can shape and fill the kolache the night before baking. Place them on parchment-lined trays, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let them come to room temperature (about 1.5 to 2 hours), then brush with egg wash, sprinkle with streusel, and bake as directed. Perfect for fresh, warm pastries in the morning!

Other Notes:

  • I use King Arthur brand flour, which is 4.25 oz per cup. Other all purpose flour have slightly different weights. Start with 3.5 cups and add a bit more if too sticky
  • I thought the cheese filling wasn't sweet enough. Try the filling with the recommended sugar (3 tablespoons) but add another tablespoon or two to sweeten if needed.
  • Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
  • Nutrition facts below estimated for cheese filled kolache. 

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg