Do not confuse these for the ones you get in Texas. Those are amazing, but these taste more like the Eastern European kind. These kolaches tastes like lightly sweetened french bread stuffed with jam. They're great if you don't like super sweet pastries and are perfect for a grab and go breakfast. Now that I've got this recipe down, I'm gonna try out some savory bacon and cheddar kolaches. Stay tuned.
Strawberry Kolaches
Recipe from http://www.saveur.com/
8 oz. strawberries, hulled and
thinly sliced
19 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
1⁄2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1⁄4-oz. package active dry yeast
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened,
plus 2 tbsp. melted
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg yolk
3 1⁄2 cups flour
3⁄4 cup milk
1. Combine berries, 12 tbsp. sugar, lemon juice, and 1⁄4 cup water in a 2-qt. pan over medium-high heat. Cook until thick, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat; mash berries until chunky; let cool. In a bowl, stir the yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1⁄2 cup water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and 3 tbsp. sugar until combined. Add salt and egg yolk; beat until smooth. Add yeast mixture, 3 1⁄4 cups flour, and milk; form a dough. Knead dough in bowl to form a ball. Cover bowl with a towel; set aside in a warm place to let rise, about 1 hour. To make crumb topping, combine remaining sugar, 1 tbsp. melted butter, and remaining flour in a bowl; set aside.
2. Heat oven to 375°. Divide dough into 16 balls; arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap; let rise for 30 minutes. Using back of a spoon, make an indentation in each ball. Spoon 1 tbsp. filling into each; sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until golden, 30–35 minutes. (I divided mine between two baking sheets and they were done after about 25 minutes.)
MAKES 16 PASTRIES
