Czech Kolache
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0

History

Kolache (kolac) date back to medieval Bohemia, originally a wedding cake the entire village shared. By the 19th century they had shrunk to individual buns. The poppy-seed kolach (mak) is the canonical Czech version; the curd-cheese version (tvaroh) is the Moravian alternative. Eska and Antonin Bakery bake the modern Prague version daily; the Saturday Naplavka stalls sell the rural family version. The Texan kolache descended from Czech immigrants in the 1850s in central Texas (West, Texas remains the home), where it diverged toward a savoury sausage-stuffed form that is unrecognisable to Bohemians.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 16Hands-on 45 minTotal 3 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the dough: 600g strong bread flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 10g instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 large yolks
  • 250ml warm whole milk
  • 120g unsalted butter (softened)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • For poppy-seed filling: 200g ground blue poppy seeds (mak)
  • 100ml whole milk
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 30g butter
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp rum or vanilla
  • For curd-cheese filling: 300g fresh tvaroh or quark
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 30g raisins
  • For plum-jam filling: 200g good Czech plum jam (povidla)
  • For streusel topping: 60g plain flour, 50g caster sugar, 50g cold butter, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk for glaze
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Method

  1. For the dough: combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a mixer; add yolks and warm milk, knead 5 minutes; gradually add soft butter and lemon zest, knead 10 minutes until shiny and pulling from the bowl.
  2. Cover, prove 90 minutes until doubled.
  3. For the poppy filling: bring milk, sugar and butter to a low boil, stir in the ground poppy seeds, cook 5 minutes until thick and pasty; off heat add lemon zest and rum, cool.
  4. For the cheese filling: beat all ingredients into a smooth thick paste.
  5. For the streusel: rub all ingredients into coarse breadcrumbs.
  6. Knock back the dough, divide into 16 equal balls (about 65g each); place on parchment-lined trays, well spaced. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  7. Press a deep wide dimple in each ball with two thumbs (or the base of a floured glass), leaving a 1cm rim.
  8. Fill: spoon 1 heaped tbsp of poppy or cheese filling into the dimple (5 buns of each), 1 heaped tsp of plum jam in the rest (6 buns).
  9. Brush exposed dough rim with egg wash, sprinkle a generous teaspoon of streusel over each bun.
  10. Prove 30 minutes uncovered. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 14 to 16 minutes until golden brown and the streusel has set.
  11. Cool 5 minutes on the tray; dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tip from the editors. Ground blue poppy seed (mak) is widely available in Central European groceries; do not substitute toasted whole poppy seeds, which give a sandy texture. The dimple must be deep so the filling does not slide off.

Where to eat czech kolache

Czech Kolache in Houston

Three Brothers Bakery ★ 4.5

$ BakeryEastern European Jewish bakeryWalk-in only

Three Brothers Bakery in Houston is the Braeswood Boulevard Jewish bakery from the Jucker family (Polish Holocaust survivors), since 1949 in Houston.

Worth the queuePecan coffee cake and challah

TipPre-order challah for Friday. Pecan coffee cake is the line item; the Hurricane Harvey rebuild story is in the front-window framed clippings.

Directions

Kolache Shoppe ★ 4.3

$ BakeryCzech-Texan kolaches and klobasnikyWalk-in only

Kolache Shoppe in Houston is the Greenway Plaza Czech-Texan bakery on Richmond Avenue, with sausage-cheese klobasniky, apricot kolaches and a weekend line.

Worth the queueSausage and cheese klobasniky

TipGet there before 9am Saturday for the full case. Order a dozen mixed for the office or the road.

Directions

Koffeteria ★ 4.2

$$ Bakery

Koffeteria in Houston is Vanarin Kuch's EaDo pastry shop on Hutchins, with the beef pho kolache, pistachio baklava croissant and a Top Chef alumna.

OrderBeef pho kolache. Pistachio baklava croissant.

Why locals goAn EaDo pastry shop on Hutchins Street with the beef pho kolache and Hot Cheeto croissants that won 2024 Houston Pastry Chef of the Year.

TipGet there by 9am Saturday for the full case. Closes at 2pm Mon, Wed-Sun, closed Tuesday.

Directions

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Czech Kolache in Omaha

Lithuanian Bakery and Cafe ★ 4.4

$ BakeryLithuanian rye bread and pastriesWest OmahaWalk-in only

The Lithuanian Bakery on Pacific carries one of few surviving Baltic baking traditions in the Great Plains, with dark rye sourdough and Lithuanian pastries.

Worth the queueDark rye sourdough and Lithuanian pastries

Directions

Orsi's Italian Bakery and Pizzeria ★ 4.3

$ Italian pizzaLittle Bohemia

Two slices of Orsi's brick-oven pizza and a drink land under $10 at the Pacific counter, a century-old crust recipe on every Omaha budget meal shortlist.

Directions

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Czech Kolache in Prague

Eska Karlin ★ 4.5

€€ 280-450 CZKBrunchBakery-restaurant brunchKarlin

Eska Karlin runs an all-day brunch in the bakery-restaurant: bread 33 sourdough toast, eggs, fermented vegetables and the kitchen's morning pastry plate.

OrderBread 33 toast, eggs, fermented Czech vegetables

TipBook Saturday brunch in advance; bread 33 sells out by noon weekly.

Directions

Antoninovo Pekarstvi Karlin ★ 4.5

€ BakeryWheat-rye breads, potato sourdough, chlebickyKarlinWalk-in only

Antoninovo Pekarstvi opened the first of its six city-wide bakeries in Karlin in 2014. Wheat-rye and potato sourdough loaves, all baked on-site.

Worth the queuePotato sourdough loaf

TipThe decorated chlebicky are made up at the counter; ask for a flight to-go.

Directions

Antoninovo Pekarstvi Namesti Miru ★ 4.5

€ BakerySourdough, kolache, sweet bunsVinohradyWalk-in only

Antoninovo Pekarstvi's Namesti Miru flagship opened in a restored First Republic cafe space. Located in Vinohrady. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Worth the queueWheat-rye sourdough loaf

TipThe big window seats are the prize; show up before 10:00 on weekends.

Directions

Eska Letna ★ 4.5

€ BakerySourdough, kolache, breakfast pastryLetnaWalk-in only

Eska Letna opened in February 2025 on the Letna grid as the second Ambiente bakery, baking the same bread 33 sourdough plus laminated pastries and breakfast.

Worth the queueBread 33

TipSweet and savoury breakfasts are made to-go; the morning crowd is the Letna runners.

Directions

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