A kolache is a yeasted bread filled with a topping, which can be sweet or savory.

Her kolaches recipe, adapted here, is a funweekend bakingproject that even amateurs can pull off.

The recipe makes three dozen kolaches, perfect for sharing.

Southern Living Lydia Faust’s Texas Kolaches

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What Are Kolaches?

Kolaches are pillowy pastries with a variety of fillings introduced to Texas by Czech settlers in the 1800s.

The name forkolachecomes from the Czech wordkolac, meaning “circle” or “wheel.

Lydia Faust’s Texas Kolaches

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“Klobasniky, a savory version of kolaches, are often filled with sausage and cheese.

How To Make Kolaches

These kolaches are a great weekend baking project for the whole family.

The single most tasty recipe I’ve ever made.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches after baking ready to serve

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Thank you, it was very popular with family and friends.

We couldn’t agree more.

Bring to room temperature or warm before serving.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches blooming the yeast

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Whisk in lukewarm whole milk and yeast mixture.

Make dough:

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

Sift 3 cups of the flour over mixture.

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

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Add evaporated milk, sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolk.

Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Remove whisk attachment; replace with dough hook.

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

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Gradually add remaining 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Let dough rise:

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

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

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

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Punch dough down, and re-cover.

Let rise until doubled, about 30 more minutes.

Prepare desired Filling:

For Apricot/Plum Filling:Place apricots or plums in a heavy saucepan.

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

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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.

Remove from heat, and let fruit cool completely in liquid, around 15 minutes.

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

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Drain and discard liquid; place in a food processor.

Add sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches switching to the dough hook

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

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 dough after it is smooth and elastic

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

Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.

Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

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

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Cut dough rounds:

Generously flour a work surface.

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

Brush tops with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the dough rise

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

Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fill each with about 1 tablespoon Filling.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the dough rise again

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Sprinkle each kolache with 1 to 2 teaspoons Posypka.

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

Bake:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches letting the cooked apricots soak

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Position racks in top third and lower third of oven.

Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Transfer kolaches to wire racks.

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

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Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

They’ve since became overwhelmingly popular in the area.

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

Southern Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches pureeing the apricots

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

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

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches cooking the poppy seed filling

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the butter and vanilla

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches preparing the cream cheese filling

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches rolling out the dough

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

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

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches making the streusel topping

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

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches adding the filling

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches sprinkling with the streusel topping

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

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches after baking

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

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Southern Living Lydia Fausts Texas Kolaches on cooling rack

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