Savory and Sweet Sourdough Kolaches
These fluffy and tangy sourdough kolaches are one of my favorite ways to utilize ripe sourdough starter. As a Texas gal, I’ve eaten many kolaches in my day. These are the best of the best, drawing on the pleasant chewiness of parker house rolls and the pillowy softness of milk bread.
Because the dough has a relatively neutral flavor — besides, of course, the sourness of the sourdough — this recipe makes for both excellent sweet and savory kolaches.
Note: The dough recipe makes enough for 12 kolaches. The cream cheese filling and the sausage filling are each enough for 6 kolaches. Personally, I like to use the dough for half sweet and half savory kolaches, but adjust as needed! The dough recipe can easily be halved to make 6 kolaches.
INGREDIENTS
Sweet or Savory Kolache Dough (makes 12 kolaches)
400g milk (any cow milk will work, I used whole milk)
70g cane sugar (or granulated white sugar)
1 stick salted butter - 4oz/113g - sliced into 1 tbsp chunks for easier melting; if using unsalted butter, add an extra 1/4 tsp of kosher salt
200g ripe sourdough starter
1/2 tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher)
300g bread flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill artisan)
350g AP flour
Optional egg wash: 1 egg whipped with 1 tbsp milk to give the kolaches a nice golden color
Sweet: Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Filling (makes 6 kolaches)
1 8 oz block regular cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (you can use the seeds from a pod if you have it, or opt for pure vanilla extract instead)
3 tbsp cane sugar (or granulated white sugar)
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 egg yolk
Savory: Sausage and Cheese/Klobasnek (makes 6 kolaches)
6 smoked sausage links (I used Meyer’s Elgin Sausage)
4 oz firm cheese such as cheddar, gouda, or colby-jack, cut into strips about as long as the sausage links
TOOLS
1/2 sheet pan for baking
Parchment paper
Stand mixer, fitted with a mixing bowl and dough hook attachment
Plastic wrap
Kitchen scale
A cutting board or other flat surface (kitchen counter) for shaping the dough
Helpful, but not necessary tools
Instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the butter/milk/sugar mixture
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INSTRUCTIONS
Making the dough:
Add the milk, butter, and sugar into a saucepan and allow the mixture to warm on medium-low heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is beginning to dissolve— It’s ok if some sugar granules remain. Ensure the mixture remains under 120 degrees (F) as the yeast will begin to die at this temperature. You can use an instant read thermometer or check the temperature by sticking your finger briefly in the mixture; it should feel warm, but not hot.
Add the warm milk mixture to the mixing bowl, along with the ripe sourdough starter, salt, and bread and AP flours.
With the dough hook attached, let knead on low (speed 2 on a Kitchen-Aid) for about 10-15 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a greased container (preferably with a lid) large enough to allow some space for the dough to rise. Ideally, leave the dough out at room temperature for 1-2 hours to kickstart the first proofing process.
Place the dough into the fridge for an overnight rest, or at least 6-8 hours. This will not only help develop the dough’s subtle sourdough flavor, but will also allow the butter in the dough to solidify, making it much easier to work with.
Dividing the Dough:
Once the dough has completed the first rest, remove the dough from the fridge. At this point, the dough should have risen significantly. You should be able to see or feel small bubbles in the dough— this is an indicator the dough is nice and active, and fermentation is occurring.
Divide the dough: this recipe makes 12 kolaches (sweet or savory). The best way to divide the dough is to weigh it using a kitchen scale and divide the total weight by 12. Each of my pieces weighed about 110g.
Shaping the dough:
To shape the Klobasneks/savory kolaches: Take a ball of dough and flatten it out into a rough rectangle shape in your non-dominant hand. Using your dominant hand, place a strip of cheese and the sausage link onto the dough so that the long ends of the sausage line up with the long ends of the dough.
Still using your dominant hand, grab the top and bottom parts of the dough (aligning with the tips of the sausage link) and pinch them to connect with each other.
Then, using your pointer and thumb finger, pinch the dough from the sides together until they connect to the piece of dough running down the center from the previous step.
Smooth out any thick areas by pushing the excess dough to parts where the dough is thinner.
Place the sausage rolls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. You can put the Klobasneks close together for a pull-apart effect or a couple inches apart for standalone. I find that 6 Klobasneks can fit comfortably on a baking sheet at once.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2-4 hours until puffy.
To shape the traditional/sweet kolaches: Take a piece of dough and press it down on a cutting board or other smooth surface to flatten it a bit. Then fold the sides into the center, pinching them together. Turn the ball over, seam-side down and drag it across the work surface several times to develop surface tension.
Repeat until all the pieces of dough have been shaped and space the balls out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I find that 6 sweet kolaches can fit comfortably on a baking tray at once.
Let the pieces of dough rest for 10-15 minutes so they hold their shape when you press them down. If you do not let them relax, the dough will be too elastic from shaping and will spring back.
Using your fingers, gently work your way around the center of the ball, pressing down to create space for the filling.
Spoon the cream cheese filling into the center and spread it to fill the shallow well.
Optional: you can add some jam in the middle of the kolaches by using a teaspoon to create a divot in the cream cheese filling. I opted for homemade peach jam a friend gave me!
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2-4 hours until puffy.
Baking the dough:
Optional: brush the egg wash over the tops of the Klobasneks or over the doughy edges of the sweet kolaches, avoiding the filling.
Once the kolaches have completed the final proofing, place them into a 375 degree (F) oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, let cool for 10-20 minutes, then enjoy!
