Lydia Faust's Texas Kolaches

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Lydia Faust has made a name for herself in the town of Snook, Texas for her exquisitely tender, buttery kolaches.

Southern Living Lydia Faust's Texas Kolaches
Photo:

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

Active Time:
1 hr
Bake Time:
20 mins
Rest Time:
2 hrs 5 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 25 mins
Yield:
3 dozen

Like smoked sausage and brisket, kolaches (pronounced ko-LAH-tch, with no “-ee,” in local parlance) are among the iconic foods of Central Texas, where German and Czech immigrants settled in the mid to late 1800s. A kolache is a yeasted bread filled with a topping, which can be sweet or savory.

Lydia Faust has made a name for herself in the town of Snook, Texas, for her exquisitely tender, buttery kolaches. Faust once ran a bakery selling them, and now she leads an annual kolache-making workshop to help carry on the tradition. Locals of all ages and baking experience levels come to the workshop (held in an elementary school) to bake dozens and dozens of kolaches under her watch.

Her kolaches recipe, adapted here, is a fun weekend baking project that even amateurs can pull off. There are a few different filling choices (each one makes two cups) and an optional streusel topping—pick one or mix and match. The recipe makes three dozen kolaches, perfect for sharing.

Lydia Faust's Texas Kolaches
Wyatt McSpadden

What Are Kolaches?

Kolaches are pillowy pastries with a variety of fillings introduced to Texas by Czech settlers in the 1800s. Since that time, these Danish-like treats have become a breakfast staple and midday treat in the area, featuring a variety of fillings from apricot to prune, cream cheese, blueberry, cherry, lemon, poppyseed, and more.

The name for kolache comes from the Czech word koláč, meaning "circle" or "wheel." Klobasniky, a savory version of kolaches, are often filled with sausage and cheese.

Ingredients for Kolaches

The dough for these kolaches comes together with pantry staples, while the specialty fillings are up to you—make one or all, depending on your preferences. To make a batch of these irresistible pastries, you'll need:

For the kolaches:

  • Active dry yeast: To give the kolaches their rise. Active dry yeast works more slowly than instant yeast, but performs better for this type of recipe with multiple rises.
  • Warm water: Helps activate the yeast.
  • Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the dough, and gets melted and brushed over the dough for even browning and extra richness.
  • Vegetable shortening: Helps create an even more tender pastry.
  • Lukewarm whole milk: For a soft, cakey crumb.
  • All-purpose flour: The base of the dough, all-purpose flour has a medium protein content for a tender result.
  • Evaporated milk: Creamier than whole milk, evaporated milk adds extra richness.
  • Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough.
  • Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the dough.
  • Large eggs: Binds the dough.
  • Egg yolk: For extra richness.

Choose one or all—for the fillings, you'll need:

  • For plum/apricot filling: Dried apricots or dried pitted plums, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
  • Poppy seed filling: Whole poppy seeds, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, whole milk, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.
  • Cream cheese filling: Cream cheese, granulated sugar, large egg yolk, and vanilla or almond extract.

For the Posypka (streusel topping), have on hand: Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract or ground cinnamon.

How To Make Kolaches

These kolaches are a great weekend baking project for the whole family. While the amount of steps might be intimidating, each one happens quickly for a total of one hour of active time for the whole batch. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

  • Step 1. Bloom yeast: Bloom yeast in warm water, then add to melted butter, shortening, and lukewarm milk.
  • Step 2. Make dough: Transfer the yeast mixture to a stand mixer and mix with flour, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, eggs, and an egg yolk until smooth. Add additional flour, and knead until smooth and supple.
  • Step 3. Let dough rise: Brush dough with melted butter and set aside to double in size. Punch down, and set aside to rise again.
  • Step 4. For Apricot/Plum Filling: Boil apricots or plums in water until soft, then drain and process with sugar, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
  • Step 5. For Poppy Seed Filling: Add poppy seeds, sugar, and flour to boiled milk and cook until thick. Stir in butter and vanilla.
  • Step 6. For Cream Cheese Filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and extract until smooth.
  • Step 7. Cut dough rounds: Roll dough to a 1-inch-thick rectangle, then cut out circles and place onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with butter, and set aside to double in size.
  • Step 8. Make streusel topping: Mix sugar, flour, butter, and vanilla or cinnamon until uniform.
  • Step 9. Add filling to dough: Make a small indentation in each circle of dough and fill as desired. Top with streusel and set aside to rise again.
  • Step 10. Bake: Bake kolaches at 350°F until golden brown, and brush with remaining butter. Cool completely on racks before serving.

Tips for the Best Texas Kolaches

For the best kolaches, keep these tips in mind:

  • Use warm water: Warm water (around 105-115°F) will help the yeast activate, and foam up within the recommended time. Too hot or too cold and yeast movement will be negatively impacted.
  • Smooth dough: Knead the dough until smooth for the best gluten development and final texture.
  • Be patient: Give the dough time to double in size. If in doubt, take a before and after photo for comparison. Note that yeasted dough will rise more slowly in cold weather.
  • Cut dough close together: Cut out the kolaches right next to each other to avoid having to reroll too many scraps (making for a less tender result).
  • Don't skimp on the streusel: While making the streusel topping might seem like an extra step, the textural contrast and additional sweetness it adds takes these pillowy pastries to the next level.
  • Don't overfill: It might be tempting to load up the filling for these kolaches, but one tablespoon is more than enough filling, and will keep it from bubbling over the edge of the pastries while baking.
  • Bake until golden: A deep golden brown color is key for the best flavor and texture.

Rave Reviews from the Southern Living Community

One Southern Living Community Member offered up a "Superb. The single most tasty recipe I've ever made. Thank you, it was very popular with family and friends. A++", while a Texas local raves, "I've been making kolaches with one recipe or another for about a decade, trying to find my way, and I never expected to find a recipe that makes PERFECT fruit kolaches!"

We couldn't agree more.

How To Store Kolaches

Store kolaches at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to two days, keeping multiple flavors separate for best results. For longer storage, refrigerate the baked kolaches for up to five days, or freeze for up to two months. Bring to room temperature or warm before serving.

More Sweet Yeasted Dough Recipes You'll Love

Once you've mastered a yeasted dough like this one, babka, swirl breads, cinnamon rolls, and beignets are certainly within reach:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches after baking ready to serve

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

Ingredients

Kolaches:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast (from 2 [1/4-oz.] envelopes)

  • 1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)

  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm whole milk (100°F to 105°F)

  • 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for work surface

  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided

Plum/Apricot Filling:

  • 12 oz. dried apricots or dried pitted plums (about 2 1/4 cups)

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Poppy Seed Filling:

  • 1 1/4 cups ground whole poppy seeds

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 2 (8-oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Posypka (Streusel Topping):

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract or ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Bloom yeast:

    Sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir to combine. Set aside.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches blooming the yeast

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Place butter and shortening in a large microwavable bowl, and microwave on HIGH until melted, about 1 minute. Stir to combine.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches whisking together the butter and shortening

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Whisk in lukewarm whole milk and yeast mixture.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches whisking the yeas mixture into the butter mixture

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  2. Make dough:

    Transfer yeast mixture to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches yeast mixture in the mixing bowl

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Sift 3 cups of the flour over mixture.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches sifting the flour over the yeast mixture in the mixing bowl

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Add evaporated milk, sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolk. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the evaporated milk and eggs

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Remove whisk attachment; replace with dough hook. Gradually add remaining 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 2 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches switching to the dough hook

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Let sit at room temperature 5 minutes; beat on medium-high speed until elastic and very smooth, 10 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches dough after it is smooth and elastic

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  3. Let dough rise:

    Brush top of dough with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches brushing the dough with melted butter

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the dough rise

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Punch dough down, and re-cover. Let rise until doubled, about 30 more minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the dough rise again

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  4. Prepare desired Filling:

    For Apricot/Plum Filling: Place apricots or plums in a heavy saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the fruit is soft and tender, about 15 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the cooked apricots soak

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Remove from heat, and let fruit cool completely in liquid, around 15 minutes. Drain and discard liquid; place in a food processor.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the fruit to a food processor

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Add sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.

    Southern Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches pureeing the apricots

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  5. For Poppy Seed Filling: Stir together poppy seeds, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches stirring together the flour and poppy seeds

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Heat milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-high until milk just comes to a boil, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; add poppy seed mixture to milk.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the poppy seed mixture to the milk

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 1 minute.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches cooking the poppy seed filling

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the butter and vanilla

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  6. For Cream Cheese Filling: Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla or almond extract in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth and combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches preparing the cream cheese filling

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  7. Cut dough rounds:

    Generously flour a work surface. Gently roll dough out to a 1-inch-thick rectangle (about 18 x 14 inches).

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches rolling out the dough

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches cutting circles out of the dough

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Brush tops with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches brushing the tops with butter before baking

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes.

  8. Make Streusel Topping:

    While dough rises, make the Posypka (Streusel Topping): Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to combine sugar, flour, butter, and vanilla or ground cinnamon to form a crumbly texture. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches making the streusel topping

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  9. Add Filling to dough:

    Use your fingers to make 1 small indentation in center of each dough circle.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches intending the dough circles before adding the filling

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Fill each with about 1 tablespoon Filling.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the filling

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Sprinkle each kolache with 1 to 2 teaspoons Posypka.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches sprinkling with the streusel topping

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Let rise until doubled in size, 20 to 30 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches after the last rise before baking

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

  10. Bake:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Position racks in top third and lower third of oven. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating baking sheets between top and bottom racks halfway through the baking time. Remove from oven.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches after baking

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches brushing tops with melted butter after baking

    Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist Josh Hoggle

    Transfer kolaches to wire racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

    Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches on cooling rack

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are kolaches a Texas thing?

    Kolaches originated in Central Europe, and were brought to Texas by Czech settlers in the mid to late 1800s. They've since became overwhelmingly popular in the area.

  • What is a savory kolache called?

    Kolaches with savory fillings, including sausage and cheese, are typically known as "klobasnek."

Additional reporting by
Katie Rosenhouse
Katie Rosenhouse
Katie Rosenhouse is a pastry chef and food writer with over 15 years of experience in the culinary arts. She's worked as a pastry chef in some of the finest restaurants in New York City, as a culinary instructor, and as a recipe developer.

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