Czech Plum Kolaches

Kolaches (koláče) have always been an essential part of Czech cuisine. These are round, sweet pastries with a variety of generous fillings in the center. Autumn in the Czech Republic means plum season, so I have dedicated this recipe to plum kolaches.

➜ What are kolaches?

Kolaches are popular sweet pastries made from enriched bread dough, originally from the Czech Republic. Their shape is always round (no squares, please!) with a shiny outer edge and a filling in the middle.

The most traditional kolache fillings include poppy seed filling, a filling made from Czech tvaroh cheese, which is similar to American farmer's cheese. There are also several types of fruit fillings.

Kolaches are often filled with fresh seasonal fruit, such as apricots or plums.

The surface of a kolache is sprinkled with streusel topping (Czech drobenka or posypka) or decorated with raisins or almonds.

In the Czech Republic, kolaches are baked for a variety of occasions and celebrations; the old Czechs made them at dožínky (the end of the harvest), the Hody feast in the fall, or the Masopust or Fašank festivals (in winter, the period between the Three Kings and Easter).

➜ Authentic Czech pronunciation of kolaches

The Czech name for kolaches is koláč (singular, for one piece), for two and more pieces (plural) there is the word koláče. I've recorded the Czech pronunciation of the word koláče to give you an idea of what authentic Czech sounds like!

➜ Ingredients you need to make plum kolaches

Yeast dough:

• All-purpose flour; the Czech equivalent is hladká mouka
• Instant yeast; In this recipe, the yeast is added directly to the ingredients when the dough is prepared. This eliminates the yeast proofing step and saves labor and time. Learn more about baking with instant yeast.
• Milk; lukewarm to warm, but not hot. I usually test the temperature of the milk by dipping my pinkie finger in it. When the milk is comfortably warm, it is ready to be used with yeast. The best milk for this recipe is whole cow's milk.
• Eggs; separate the yolks from the whites. While the yolks will be used in the kolache batter, the whites will be used as an egg wash when brushing the edges of the kolaches before baking. Eggs are best at room temperature for this recipe.
• Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature. Czech butter contains about 82% milk fat. Lower-fat butter may affect the quality of the dough.
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon zest; freshly grated. Ideally, use an organic lemon or wash its surface under warm running water. Use a scrubbing sponge with a fine abrasive coating. I grate the lemon rind on a hand grater with small holes. Grate only the outer yellow rind, as the lower white layer tends to be bitter.
• Pinch of salt; for flavor balance

Streusel topping (Drobenka):

• All-purpose flour, unsalted butter and granulated sugar

See a separate article I wrote about streusel topping (drobenka) for more tips.

Plums for filling:

• Fresh plums; I recommend Italian plums, which are similar to Czech ones. These plums are sweet and the pits are easy to remove from the flesh. If you want to use frozen plums, thaw them first and drain them thoroughly.
• Granulated sugar; to sweeten the plums on kolaches if the plums are rather sour
• Egg whites; to make an egg wash for brushing the edges of the kolache. After baking, the edges will be nicely glossy.

Next, you will need baking paper and a cookie sheet.

A piece of kolache is about 6-7 inches (15–17 cm) when baked. Keep this in mind when choosing a baking sheet. Kolaches need quite a lot of space around them because they will increase in volume as they bake.

✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.

➜ How to make plum kolache

Kolache instructions in 10 detailed steps

NOTE: The kolache dough is very soft and slightly sticky. It is ideal for processing in a kitchen stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If you don't have a stand mixer, I recommend preparing the dough in a bowl and working it with a wooden spoon (for more experienced bakers).

STEP 1/10: Start by preparing the yeast dough in a stand mixer. Put the flour, sugar, egg yolks, grated lemon zest, active yeast into a mixing bowl. Pour in the lukewarm milk (photo 1).

STEP 2/10: Knead the ingredients in a stand mixer for two minutes until roughly combined. Then add the softened butter and salt (photo 2). Knead the dough on medium to high speed (I knead on speed 3-4 out of 5) for 10 minutes.

Be patient, the dough has to be worked perfectly, then it will be wonderfully smooth and elastic.

STEP 3/10: Using a plastic scraper, remove the dough from the bowl to a floured work surface. Turn the dough once until flour is on both sides (photo 3).

Pull the dough to the sides and fold it like a letter into an envelope (photo 4). Repeat twice. Finally, pull the ends of the dough away from the sides and fold them toward the center. Press the ends together to form a ball (photo 5).

STEP 4/10: Place the prepared dough ball, seam side down, in a bowl, dust lightly with flour, cover with a clean tea towel (photo 6), and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (photo 7). This will take about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the room conditions.

TIP: Learn how to quickly make dough rise in oven

STEP 5/10: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into six equal-sized portions; feel free to weigh them out for equal-sized kolaches if you have a kitchen scale on hand.

Pull the ends out of each piece and fold them over to meet in the middle, then press the ends together (photo 8). This is a similar process to what you did with the whole dough after you removed it from the bowl.

Place the ball seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This will give the kolaches a nice, even, round shape. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 20 minutes.

STEP 6/10: Before the balls rise, prepare a streusel topping with butter, flour and sugar (photo 9). Next, wash and dry the plums and remove the pits. If the plums are large, quarter them.

How to form kolaches round

STEP 7/10: Cover a suitable flat-bottomed container with a clean cloth and dip it in a little flour. Make a well in each of the risen balls (photo 10). Press down on the center of each first, then shape the edges to complete the well.

You can form the edges of the kolache with a plain container (no more cloth) for a nicer result. Always dip the container in flour to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pressed kolache.

STEP 8/10: Brush the edges of the pressed kolaches with the egg whites left over from making the dough (photo 11).

STEP 9/10: Place the plums on the prepared kolaches, cut side up. If the plums are sour, sprinkle them with a teaspoon of sugar. Finally, top with the streusel topping (photo 12).

STEP 10/10: Bake the plum kolaches in a preheated oven at 375°F/190°C (upper and lower heating) for 25 minutes until the edges turn golden brown (photo 13).

➜ Serving

Plum kolaches are traditionally served in the Czech Republic at the end of summer and the beginning of fall during the Hody festival. That period also corresponds to the peak of the plum season.

Once baked, transfer the kolaches on a wire rack to cool. Plum kolaches taste best on the day they are baked.

However, if you work the dough well and give it enough love and time to rise, the kolaches will be soft on the second or even third day - if you don't have time to eat them before then!

➜ How to store kolaches

If you know you will eat all the kolaches within three days, you can leave them on the kitchen counter covered with a clean dish towel.

To extend the shelf life of kolaches, place them in a plastic bag or airtight container and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to a week.

Kolaches freeze well. They will keep for three months in the freezer in an airtight bag or container. Always defrost by removing the kolache and letting it thaw at room temperature on the kitchen counter. The sooner you freeze the kolaches after baking, the softer they will be when thawed.

Note: The kolaches must be chilled before putting them in the freezer.

➜ Tips on the best plum kolaches

• You will use less than one egg white to brush the edges of the kolaches. You can store the rest of the egg whites in the refrigerator or freezer for later baking.
• Put plums and other fresh fruit, cut side up, on top of the kolaches. This allows some of the fruit juice to evaporate during baking and prevents the dough from getting wet under the fruit.
• This recipe can be made with other fruits besides plums, such as apricots or cherries.

More Czech sweet pastries

• Moravian Kolaches – with double filling
• Easy Kolacky Cookies
• Koblihy – jam-filled doughnuts
• Poppy seed kolache – makové koláče
• Czech Kolache with farmers cheese filling – tvarohové koláče