Peach Kolaches

 


A Kolache is a Czechoslavakian pastry, and is basically a double-risen dough, baked with a filling (usually fruit) in the center. I have never made a yeast-based pastry before, so this recipe called for some experimental baking on my part. But, it sounded good enough that I wanted to try out those fresh Utah peaches on it! So off to experiment I went. Usually, when making a yeast dough, it is important to work the dough well enough to develop the gluten. That is what I have always known. BUT, with a pastry, I have read that you do not want to work the dough much, but you want it to be soft, sticky and tender. That's backwards in my book.

I have never had a traditional Czechoslavakian Kolache, so I am not sure what the end result is supposed to be. I imagined the dough would be very light and almost fluffy, but it wasn't. It was soft and tender but not delicate and airy. It was good, it reminded me of just-out-of-the-oven homemade bread, slathered with fresh peach jam, and magically rolled into one enchanting sweet roll. This is the recipe I used, but there are more detailed recipes out there if you need more tips.

Next day note: The kolache bread didn't fare well then next day. It was delicious and tender out of the oven, and through the first day, but by morning of the next day, the bread was dry and crumbly. Sometimes day-old pastry's are just that way, but I may try another Kolache bread recipe to see if I can get the tenderness to last. Or, I may try it with a cinnamon-roll bread recipe, or a butter-roll recipe. We'll see! I bet they would all be good with those fresh peaches!

Peach Kolaches
2 cups milk
1 egg
4 tbs butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs salt
4 tsp yeast
6 cups flour

Filling:
2 cups fresh diced peaches
1 cup peach freezer jam

Topping (mix with a pastry blender):
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
3 tbs butter

Scald 2 cups milk (by heating in a sauce pan until the milk starts to steam). Add butter. In mixing bowl, lightly mix egg, add sugar and salt. Pour milk into bowl, stir, cool to lukewarm. Add yeast, and gradually add flour. Kneed until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled (abt 1 hr). Roll into 2 inch balls, place 1 inch apart on baking sheet, cover and let rise 30 minutes.

Combine peaches and freezer jam.
Create a depression in middle of roll with your fingers, place 1 tbs peach mixture into hollow. Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 F 20 minutes or until done.