Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe

August 26, 2020 by My Farmhouse Table 25 Comments

I should start this post by saying, unfortunately I am not of Czech descent. As shown by my grandma’s recipe for spaetzle, my heritage is strongly German. That isn’t stopping me from sharing this Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe.

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (1)

Actually, I had never even heard of kolaches until a Kolache Factory opened behind my apartment when I lived in Omaha. After my first visit I was hooked!

Visits to that Kolache Factory became a weekend tradition.

Especially if I had any weekend visitors stop by. This was my place I would take any out of town guests. They quickly understood why.

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (2)

Upon entering you are greeted with a wall full of baked dough filled with any variety of deliciousness possible.

Sausage, egg, and cheese.

Jalapeno Popper.

Bar-B-Q Brisket

A variety of fruit jams.

But one of my absolute favorites was the cream cheese kolache.

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (3)

Soft, traditional kolache dough provides a fluffy pillow for a creamy, dreamy cream cheese filling.

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (4)

As much as I love the cream cheese version, feel free to add whatever filling makes your little heart happy.

Strawberry jam, apricots, cherry pie filling, etc.

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (5)

Anyway you choose to make these little morsels of deliciousness, make sure to hide some extras for yourself before starting to share with family and friends.

You’ve been warned.

5 from 4 votes

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe is simple, easy, & the best Kolache Factory Copycat Recipe. Perfect Kolache dough recipe for filling

CourseBreakfast, Snack

CuisineAmerican, Czech

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Rise Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes

Servings 12

Author My Farmhouse Table

Ingredients

Kolache Dough

2 1/4tspYeast
1tspSugar
1/4cupLukewarm Water
1/2cupMilk
4TbspButter, cubed
2 1/2 – 3 1/2cupsFlour
1tspSalt
1/4cupSugar
3TbspInstant Potato Flakes
1Egg, slightly beaten

Cream Cheese Filling

8ozCream Cheese, softened
1/4cupSugar
1Egg Yolk
1/2tspVanilla

Instructions

Kolache Dough

Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar into lukewarm water.
Into a microwave safe bowl, put the milk and butter. Microwave just until butter melts. Let cool slightly to 110°F (so it doesn't kill the yeast).
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In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with salt, sugar, and potato flakes. Add in yeast mixture, warmed milk and butter. Stir to combine. Add the egg and blend into dough.
Knead in remaining flour until dough comes together and it is slightly sticky.
Let dough raise for an hour and a half or until doubled.
Once raised, form dough into 12 balls. Place each dough ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet, cover, and let raise another hour.

Cream Cheese Filling

In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Once dough balls have risen for an hour. Use the back of a spoon and make an indentation into the ball.
Then fill each indentation with cream cheese mixture.
Bake kolaches at 425°F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

Instead of cream cheese filling, use your favorite fruit jam or pie filling.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Gina Ruff
April 11, 2021 at 2:27 PM

HI! We made your recipe its delicious, and smells heavenly baking!
I feel that they were too chewy, is that from too much dough handling?
Also the front of the pan was a different shade than back of the pan, should we turn pan around half way?
New to us oven, so first time baking anything in it, know we know about uneven baking.
We didn’t have a mixer, so cream cheese was clumpy, s
So hoping next time it will be smoother in appearance.
Each time we bake we learn something!
Thanks for posting this great recipe! Now the question is milk or coffee?
Blessings,
Gina and Tony Ruff
Lee, FL
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  April 12, 2021 at 5:18 PM
  Gina and Tony, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Congrats on the new oven. Does it have a convection setting? If you turn that on it may help distribute the heat more evenly throughout the oven during baking. The dough should be pretty fluffy with a slight chew to it after baking. Too much dough handling could have been the culprit there. And for the cream cheese, I would say I get the best results by making sure the cream cheese is super soft so it blends up better. Thanks so much for the questions and review!
  Reply
  - Marlyss
    January 28, 2022 at 2:28 PM
    Making recipe now. What did you use for topping? Grew up in Brainard & Omaha, Ne, but now live in Birmingham AL. Always happy to see recipes from our Czech heritage. First time using potato flakes!
    Prune, cottage cheese and poppyseed kolaches are family favorites. Thanks for your website.
    Marlyss Fiala
    Reply
    - My Farmhouse Table
      January 28, 2022 at 9:44 PM
      Thanks Marlyss. For the topping of the cream cheese filling I sometimes make a crumb topping of 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp white sugar, 1 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbsp melted butter, and sprinkle of cinnamon. Mix it all together and then crumble on top of filling before baking.
      Reply
Marilyn
December 6, 2021 at 7:48 PM
I’m a Czech-Texan who has enjoyed kolaches made by my Czech-born grandma and aunts for decades. Although sausages wrapped In dough available at most donut shops are indeed tasty, these are pigs in a blanket, not kolaches. I am happy to see this recipe with the flat pastry and center filling which is the true Czech kolache. The very traditional fillings that I grew up with are cream cheese, prune, peach, and sausage. I don’t recall ever seeing any other fillings than these from the old country. Be sure to top your kolaches with the drobenka!
Reply
- Karen Slovak Reschke
  February 27, 2022 at 9:55 AM
  
  I grew up with prune & apricot kolaches that our Grandmother made. So many other Czech recipes also, that I can’t spell, but trying to find them online. If we had of gotten a taste of the cream cheese ones, she wouldn’t have had any around to share, too many grandchildren.
  Reply
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  - My Farmhouse Table
    February 27, 2022 at 10:16 AM
    Haha! I love this. Grandma wanted to make sure all you kids got at least a little fruit.
    Reply
Mary
July 10, 2022 at 10:58 AM

My grandma was Polish and made kolaches, usually prune, apricot, cream cheese, or poppy seed. During the Depression, she made them and sent her children door to door selling them to neighbors. Lucky neighbors!
Reply
Jayne
July 10, 2022 at 3:51 PM
Why does it say 2 1/2-31/2 cups of flour?
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  August 6, 2022 at 1:43 PM
  Depending on your location and the weather… the flour needed to make the proper consistency of dough could be between 2 1/2 cups and 3 1/2 cups of the flour.
  Reply
Chuck Brichta
January 4, 2023 at 5:05 PM
Can you use 2% milk
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  February 18, 2023 at 11:11 AM
  Sure can!
  Reply
Ann
March 2, 2023 at 7:08 PM
I live at 7500 feet elevation. Do you think I’ll need to make adjustments to the recipe?
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  April 16, 2023 at 3:45 PM
  Hi Ms. High Elevation! Yes- some adjustments may need to be made. The recipe calls for 2.5 to 3.5 cups of flour. Most likely you will only need the lower amount in that range. When mixing only add as much flour until the dough comes together- it should be slightly sticky at that point so don’t add too much as it could become dense at your elevation. Good luck!
  Reply
Patrica Heithoff
March 21, 2023 at 4:43 PM
i lost my Bublanina recipe – all I can remember is that it had a lot of eggs and the dough was very loose not thick. And it bubbled up when baked. Can you help me. Thanks Patt
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  April 16, 2023 at 3:51 PM
  Hi Patt. Your bublanina recipe sounds delicious, unfortunately I’ve never tried that before. I think I would love it though.
  Reply
- Bettina
  November 19, 2023 at 7:47 AM
  Hope this helps. I found this recipe
  https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/bublanina-czech-fruit-sheet-cake/
  Reply
Todd
June 12, 2023 at 2:29 PM
I really don’t see how you can bake these at 425. Using a different recipe, I cooked them at 350 and burned the hell out of the bottoms. I even used parchment paper. 425 seems like they would come out burnt all over. I Jay am I misssing?
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  June 18, 2023 at 11:22 AM
  Hi Todd. I’m going to assume since you baked at a lower temp you also had to bake for a longer time? That could be part of the reason for the burnt bottoms. At 425F the kolaches are only in the oven for a few minutes. Enough time to puff around the filling and become golden brown. That being said- every oven is different. Even mine gets temperamental from time to time and I have to adjust baking instructions as needed. Hope you give it another shot!
  Reply
Dena
July 24, 2023 at 7:38 PM
Hi! Is there a sub for potato flakes? I have everything in house except that one ingredient, which isn’t carried by local grocery either. Many thanks for your response…and the recipe!
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  August 5, 2023 at 3:00 PM
  I’m sorry, I don’t have a sub for the potato flakes.
  Reply
- Jean
  August 23, 2023 at 6:22 PM
  It’s the potato flakes that give you the nice soft dough.
  Reply
- Melodye
  November 7, 2023 at 5:52 PM
  Dena, I think you could work with a box of instant mashed potatoes. They are basically potato flakes.
  Reply
Hope Thurman
October 31, 2023 at 12:48 AM

I love all flavors. This is a great recipe that I don’t want to lose. Cream cheese is my favorite but I love the blueberry too. Do you make the sausage kolaches the same way? Thank you for sharing.
Reply
- My Farmhouse Table
  November 5, 2023 at 4:17 PM
  Hi Hope! If I make the sausage varieties, when I divide the dough into 12 balls, I flatten out each one, put in the (cooked) filling, and then form the dough around the sausage. Let it rise for another hour and then bake as directed in this recipe.
  Reply

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (2024)

FAQs

Are kolaches Czech or Polish? ›

A kolach, from the Czech and Slovak koláč (plural koláče, diminutive koláčky, meaning "cake/pie") is a type of sweet pastry that holds a portion of fruit surrounded by puffy yeast dough. Common filling flavors include tvaroh (a type of cottage cheese), fruit jam, poppy seeds, or povidla (prune jam).

Read On ›

What is the difference between danish and Czech kolache? ›

In appearance, they resemble a danish, but there is a difference: danish dough is light and flaky whereas a kolache tends to be slightly more dense and sweet with the dough being similar to brioche.

Read On ›

What is kolache dough made of? ›

Dough

3 1/2 cups (491g) all-purpose flour.
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast.
1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
1 cup whole milk.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.
1/3 cup (66g) sugar.
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks.

Tell Me More ›

What's the difference between a kolache and a klobasnek? ›

Klobasneks are much more commonly known as kolaches in Texas, but should not be confused with traditional Czech kolaches, which are also popular and are known by the same name. Klobasneks are similar in style to sausage rolls, but the meat is wrapped in kolache dough.

Get More Info Here ›

What does kolache mean in Czech? ›

Kolaches are a traditional Czech dessert. The name originates from the Czech word “kolo,” which means “circle.” In Czech, a single one is called a kolache, and more than one is called kolaches – though in America, you may hear them called kolaches.

Get More Info ›

What is a kolache called in Czech? ›

Pop quiz: What is this called? You've been using the word "kolache" wrong. While the term has long been accepted in the Texas lexicon as all-encompassing for the Czech pastries both sweet and savory, much of what you're calling a kolache is actually a klobasnek.

Discover More ›

What does kolache mean in english? ›

kolache (plural kolaches) A pastry consisting of a filling (typically fruit or cheese) inside a bread roll, popular in the United States.

Learn More ›

What is the most delicious food in Czech? ›

More often than not, vepřo knedlo zelo, the national dish of Czechia, will be on the menu. This dish made of pork roast, knedliky, and sauerkraut is one of the top favorites with its traditional flavors. Then there's also the Instagrammable chimney cake, trdelnik – a sweet dessert that's fun to eat and look at.

What is a kolache with meat called? ›

One may also find a meat (particularly sausage) option in the bakery case, but mercy on your soul if you call it a kolache. It's generally accepted that any meat-filled pastry of this family is in fact a klobasnek.

Keep Reading ›

Are kolaches just pigs in a blanket? ›

While kolaches are a Czechoslovakian creation that arrived here in Texas in the 1800s along with thousands of Czech immigrants, the sausage-filled impostor is unique to Texas, and actually called a klobasnek (pronounced CLOW-boss-neck).

Show Me More ›

How long does a kolache stay fresh? ›

The kolache can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

What is the difference between a kolach and a kolache? ›

Kolache is the plural form of kolach, which indicates one, single pastry despite many Texans still adding an extra “s” to indicate many “kolaches” (plural).

Are kolaches German or Polish? ›

In fact, this staple of Central Texan gastronomy actually hails from Czech Republic, where a koláček (the diminutive form of koláč, pronounced kolach; plural koláčky) is a round yeast pastry with a sweet filling in the center!

Keep Reading ›

What is a savory kolache called? ›

Klobasniky (Savory Kolaches)

Find Out More ›

What is a Shipley kolache? ›

Kolache [kuh-lah-chee] noun. (plural kolaches) Try our signature Shipley Yeast Dough stuffed with one of four savory combinations and baked to golden perfection. Our Menu.

Learn More ›

Is kolache german or Polish? ›

Kolaches are Czech pastries made of a yeast dough and usually filled with fruit, but sometimes cheese. The ultra-traditional flavors — such as poppy seed, apricot, prune and a sweet-but-simple farmer's cheese — can be traced back to the pastry's Eastern European origin.

Get More Info Here ›

Is Czech language like Polish? ›

Czech is closely related to Slovak, to the point of high mutual intelligibility, as well as to Polish to a lesser degree. Czech is a fusional language with a rich system of morphology and relatively flexible word order. Its vocabulary has been extensively influenced by Latin and German.

Get More Info ›

How can you tell Czech from Polish? ›

What's more, the Czech language does not have nasal vowels as Polish does. Czech distinguishes long and short vowels, while Polish doesn't. Additionally, Polish preserved the phonetic difference between 'i' and 'y', while in Czech, they have merged into one single vowel.

Read The Full Story ›

Authentic Czech Homemade Kolache Recipe - My Farmhouse Table (2024)