Czech Kolache with Apricot Filling
Apricot Kolache
Soft Czech yeast pastries filled with apricot preserves and finished with buttery sweet crumbs for a tender bakery-style treat.
Czech kolache are soft, round yeast pastries with a shallow center that holds a spoonful of fruit filling. This version uses apricot preserves for a bright, lightly tangy center that balances the rich dough and the buttery crumb topping.
The dough is enriched with milk, butter, egg, and a little sugar, so it bakes up tender rather than crusty. A gentle first rise gives the pastries structure, while the shaped rounds get a short second rise before the centers are pressed and filled.
The sweet crumbs are simple but important: flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt rubbed together until sandy. They bake into small golden bits around the apricot filling and give each kolache the familiar bakery finish.
Serve kolache slightly warm or at room temperature with coffee or tea. They are best the day they are baked, but a brief rewarming in a low oven refreshes the dough without drying out the fruit filling.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Warm the milk until just lukewarm, then stir it with the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
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2
Whisk in the remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, and salt. Add the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
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3
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Add only enough extra flour to keep it from sticking heavily.
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4
Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes, until roughly doubled.
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5
Line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 16 pieces, roll each into a ball, and place them about 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffy.
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6
Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the crumb flour, crumb sugar, cold butter, and pinch of salt together with your fingertips until the mixture forms small buttery crumbs.
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7
Press a deep indentation into the center of each dough ball with your thumb or the bottom of a small glass, leaving a raised rim. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of apricot preserves into each center.
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8
Sprinkle the crumbs over the pastries, keeping most of them around the apricot centers. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the rims are lightly golden and the bottoms are set.
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9
Cool the kolache on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- Whole milk:3/4 cup
- Active dry yeast:2 1/4 tsp
- Granulated sugar:1/3 cup
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled:4 tbsp
- Large egg:1
- Fine salt:1 tsp
- All-purpose flour:3 cups
- Apricot preserves:3/4 cup
- All-purpose flour for crumbs:1/3 cup
- Granulated sugar for crumbs:3 tbsp
- Cold unsalted butter for crumbs, diced:2 tbsp
- Fine salt for crumbs:1 pinch
Tips & Notes
- If the apricot preserves are very thick, stir them with 1 teaspoon of warm water so they spoon neatly into the centers.
- Keep the milk lukewarm, not hot; overheated milk can weaken the yeast and slow the rise.
- For cleaner wells, dip the glass or thumb lightly in flour before pressing each dough round.
