Czech Kolache with Farmers' Cheese Filling

Kolache are a staple of Czech cuisine, but don't be mistaken - they come in all sorts of shapes and fillings. Today's recipe is for the classic round, palm-sized Kolache filled with farmers' cheese lightened with cornstarch pudding. Let's dive into making cheese Kolache!

This recipe uses a traditional yeast dough and fills the middle with farmer's cheese, the equivalent of Czech Tvaroh. To make the filling lighter and softer, I added a pudding made from milk and cornstarch. Instead of Posypka crumbles on top, we finish it off with a scoop of strawberry jam.

➜ Ingredients

You will also need an egg to brush the edges of the Kolache for a glossy finish after baking. You can use a whole egg or just the leftover egg white from making the yeast dough or filling.

I list the ingredient quantities at the bottom of the post in the recipe card—please scroll down. The basic recipe yields a dozen Kolache, or 12 pieces. I baked them on two large 14x16-inch baking sheets, which have enough room to keep the Kolache from touching each other while baking.

I enhanced the cheese filling in these Kolache by mixing in a cream of milk and cornstarch. Then, I added a spoonful of strawberry jam to the center of each Kolach. This resulted in a more delicate flavor with a tangy touch of fruit and an appealing color contrast.

➜ Instructions

Prepare yeast starter

To activate the yeast, heat the milk until it is lukewarm, around 110-115°F. Add the sugar, flour, and active dry yeast. Stir the mixture and let it sit in a warm place. You will see bubbles and a light brown foam form on the surface, which means the yeast is activated. This process takes about 10-15 minutes.

Make a yeast dough

NOTE: I kneaded the dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. For more experienced home bakers, the yeast dough can be kneaded by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Making the dough by hand requires more time and physical effort.

Put the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl, then add the eggs, activated yeast, and the remaining warm milk. Using a mixer with a dough hook, mix for about a minute until the ingredients are roughly combined.

Next, add the melted butter (make sure it is not hot) and salt to the mixture. Turn the mixer back on to medium speed and let the dough knead for 8-10 minutes. Occasionally, use a spatula to scrape down any ingredients sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Turn the kneaded dough out onto a floured work surface. A small flexible spatula works best for this. If the dough is too sticky, lightly dust it with flour and fold it twice. Finally, pull the ends from the sides and join them over the center of the dough.

Place the ball of dough, seam side down, in a clean, large bowl (photo 1). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (photo 2). This will take about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the ambient conditions.

Read about how to quickly make the dough rise in the oven.

Make the cheese-pudding filling

While the dough is rising, let's make the cheese filling! Begin by preparing the cream from the milk and cornstarch. Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat until lukewarm. Take about 1/2 cup of the warm milk and mix it with the cornstarch, whisking to break up any lumps.

Bring the remaining milk in the saucepan to a boil, then remove it from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return the saucepan to the stove and let it bubble over low heat for about a minute, stirring constantly. Set the cream aside to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.

When the cream is lukewarm, use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to blend in the farmer's cheese and an egg yolk. Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla to taste. Leave the cream cheese mixture to stand at room temperature until you are ready to fill the Kolache.

Shape the kolache

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 parts. I weighed the dough on a kitchen scale, and the whole ball had about 25 oz (700 g). Divide the total weight by twelve to get approximately a 2 oz (60 g) piece for each kolach.

If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can still divide the dough evenly. Roll the dough into a cylinder and cut it roughly in half. Then, divide each half into six pieces of about the same size, making a total of 12 pieces.

Pull the edges of each piece of dough and join them over the center. Gently roll each piece into a small, smooth ball between your palms. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down, leaving enough space between them. Cover with a tea towel and let them rest for 15 minutes. The dough will rise slightly during this time.

Take a cup or other flat-bottomed vessel about 3.5 to 4 inches (8-10 cm) in diameter and wrap it with a clean dish towel. Lightly dip the towel in flour and press it into the center of each dough ball to create a Kolach with a rim.

In a bowl, beat an egg with a fork. Brush the egg wash around the edges of each Kolach. This will ensure that the edges of the Kolache turn beautifully golden and shiny when baked.

Place a tablespoon and a half to two tablespoons of cheese filling in the center of each Kolach and spread it evenly within the dent. Finally, add a teaspoon of strawberry jam in the middle of the cheese filling.

Heat the oven to 360°F. Place the baking sheet of Kolache on the middle rack and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove the Kolache from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet.

Serve and enjoy!

Czech Kolache traditionally appears at various festive occasions, such as the end-of-summer Hody feast or the midwinter Masopust.

➜ Useful tips

• To prolong the softness of the Kolache, try making the yeast dough the night before and leave it to rise in the fridge overnight. The extended rising time will help the Kolache to remain beautifully soft for up to three days after baking, even if you leave them on the kitchen counter.
• Kolache taste best the same day they are baked. Once cooled, wrap them in plastic and store them in the fridge. They will stay fresh for at least five days.
• These cheese Kolache freeze great! The key to keeping them fresh is to put them in an airtight container as soon as they cool. Then place in the freezer and use within three months. Allow to defrost on the kitchen counter at room temperature.

More types of Czech Kolache

• Moravian double-filled kolache
• Prague kolach cake
• Poppy seed kolache
• Chodské kolache