Koláče (Czech Sweet Filled Pastries)
In short: Soft yeast pastry rounds filled with sweet quark or plum jam, brushed with butter and baked until golden. A Czech baking classic for coffee time. It takes about 1 h 3 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Resting
- 1 h 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 3 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 335 kcal
Koláče are round, soft yeast pastries with a sweet filling in the middle, a Czech bakery staple and a home baking tradition. The dough, enriched with milk, egg and butter, is topped with sweet tvaroh (fresh curd cheese, similar to quark) or thick plum jam. They are best the day they are baked, with afternoon coffee, and they also appear at weddings and village festivals.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg, egg yolk and melted butter and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and soft.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Mix the quark, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest into a smooth paste. Keep the plum jam ready.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 balls of about 70 g each and flatten each to a round about 9 cm (3 1/2 in) across, leaving the edge slightly thicker. Space them 4 cm (1 1/2 in) apart.
- Cover and rest for 30 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Press a deep hollow into the center of each round with the back of a spoon. Fill 6 with the quark mixture and 6 with the jam, and brush the edges with beaten egg.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden. Brush the hot edges with the melted butter.
- Cool for a few minutes, dust with powdered sugar and eat the same day.
Tips
- Press the hollow in just before baking and keep the rim thicker than the center. Otherwise the dough puffs up and pushes the filling out.
- Use thick jam, because thin jam bubbles over. If yours is runny, simmer it for 5 minutes to thicken. Drain wet quark in a sieve for an hour so the filling bakes firm.
Questions and answers
What is tvaroh?
Tvaroh is Czech fresh curd cheese, similar to quark or farmer cheese. Use quark or well-drained ricotta in its place.
Can I freeze koláče?
Yes. Freeze baked and cooled koláče, jam-filled ones for up to 2 months, then reheat at 160°C (325°F) for 8 minutes. Quark-filled ones are best eaten within a day or two.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. After kneading, refrigerate the covered dough overnight. Shape it and let it rest for 30 minutes before baking.
How long does it take to make Koláče (Czech Sweet Filled Pastries)?
About 1 h 3 min in total: 45 min of preparation and 18 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Koláče (Czech Sweet Filled Pastries)?
About 335 kcal per serving, with 9 g of protein, 52 g of carbohydrates and 10 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 335 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Sodium | 160 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
