History

Kolaches arrived in central Texas with Czech and Moravian immigrants who settled in towns like West, Caldwell and Round Rock from the 1850s onward. The sweet version uses a rich yeasted dough rounded with a thumbprint of fruit filling; the savoury klobasnek, a Texas innovation, wraps sausage in the same dough. Round Rock Donuts and the Round Rock and Caldwell area shops run the canonical Texas-Czech bakeries. The Austin city version threads into breakfast-taco and BBQ culture; kolaches and breakfast tacos are equally Texan morning options here.

Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Makes 16 kolachesHands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 240ml whole milk, warmed to 38C (100F)
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
  • 80g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g apricot or prune lekvar filling (or sweetened poppyseed paste)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
  • 30g posypka (flour, sugar and butter streusel) for topping

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the warm milk, eggs and softened butter. Mix with the dough hook on low for 5 minutes, then medium for 8 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky.
  2. Cover and rise at room temperature until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
  3. Punch down, divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll into smooth balls and place 4cm apart on two parchment-lined baking trays. Cover and rise 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 175C (350F). Press a 4cm-wide thumbprint into each risen ball.
  5. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into each well. Brush the dough surround with melted butter and scatter posypka on top.
  6. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until golden. Brush again with melted butter as they come out of the oven. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Tip from the editors. The dough is enriched, so it rises slowly. If your kitchen is cold, give it the full 90 minutes; the texture depends on a fully proved dough.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat kolaches

Kolaches in Austin

Round Rock Donuts ★ 4.4

Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock is the Lone Star doughnut counter since 1926, a 4:30am opening with egg-yolk-yellow yeast doughnuts at a buck or two each, daily.

Try: Yellow yeast doughnut

Tip: The original yellow doughnut is the order; the Texas-size novelty doughnut is for sharing.

106 W Liberty Ave, Round Rock, TX 78664

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery ★ 4.3

Daily 07:00-21:00Walk-in onlyScratch pies, cakes and decorated cookies

Quack's 43rd Street Bakery in Austin is the Hyde Park coffeehouse and bakery since 1983, a from-scratch counter of pies, cakes, croissants, muffins and decorated cookies.

Tip: Whole-cake orders need 48-hours notice; the cookie counter has the highest turnover and freshest output.

Worth the queue: Coconut macaroon

411 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751

Bistro Vonish ★ 4.3

Why locals love it: A vegan food truck on East 53rd Street with vegan kolaches, BBQ seitan and a fire pit in the back, run by an ex-Uchi pastry chef on a punk-DIY vibe.

Tip: The vegan kolaches are the room's most distinctive plate; closed Monday through Tuesday.

701 E 53rd St, Austin, TX 78751

More cities are in research. Want kolaches covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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