Kolaches with fruit & cheese filling and streusel

Definitely missing our Saturday morning routine in New Braunfels, TX. For several years we spent February in NB and our Saturday routine included a walk to Naegelin’s Bakery (the oldest operating bakery in Texas, since 1868) for kolaches (usually sausage filled) and Texas Pecan coffee. From there, we walked a couple of blocks to the Farmer’s Market that offered fresh produce of all kinds, prepared foods and bakery goods, home remedies, hand-made soaps, jewelry, and oh, so much more

I’ve made my version of Naegelin’s Sausage Kolaches but today I tried my hand at the more typical fruit and cheese filled variety. My baking spree was prompted by the recipe in the latest issue of Cuisine At Home (Spring 2022). 

 

Naegelin’s is a German bakery and kolaches are considered to be an Eastern European classic. According to Cuisine At Home, “These buns immigrated to the U.Sl, in particular to Texa and the upper Midwest.”

 

Sweet, pillowy dough encases the homemade fruit filling and is topped with crumbly streusel topping! OH, SO GOOD . . . especially warm from the oven. Or, try warming them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, later on.

 

Kolaches with fruit & cheese filling and streusel      Makes 12 kolaches

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided + more as needed as dough is mixed

1 cup whole milk, warmed and divided (I warmed to about 115°)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) instant or active dry yeast

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon minced lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tablespoon while milk, beaten

Fillings: Dried Plum Filling (recipe follows), Cream Cheese Filling (recipe follows) or favorite jams or fruit butters such as cheery or apricot or other tradition additions such poppy seed filling 

Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

1. Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk, sugar & yeast in mixing bowl that will be used to prepare dough; let rest until mixture become bubbly, about 15 minutes (mine was bubbly in less time).
   
2. In another bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup milk, butter, 1 egg, egg yolk, zest, and salt; add to yeast mixture.
   
3. Add remaining 2 3/4 cup flour, in 3 additions, stirring after each addition until dough comes together.
   
4. Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface; knead with floured hands, adding extra flour as needed, a little at a time, until dough is sooth and it springs back when pressed with a finger, about 10 minutes. Dough should be slightly tacky and a little greasy but not sticky. Avoid adding too much flour. (I used a dough hook to mix my dough.)
   
5. Transfer dough to a bowl coated with nonstick spray; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

   

   Above: Dough just added to bowl.
   Below: After rising, the dough is ready to  be shaped . . .when indentations in dough keep their shape.

   
6. Turn out dough onto counter, punch down, then divide into 12 even pieces. 
   
7. Shape pieces into balls, pinch closed and smooth seams.
8. Arrange balls on parchment (or silicon)-lined baking sheets, several inches apart; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
9. Preheat over to 375° with racks in upper and lower thirds.
10. Press a deep indentation in center of each dough ball using back of a tablespoon measure and your fingers.
    
11. Brush egg wash on sides and tops of indented dough balls, avoiding indentations.
12. Add 1 tablespoon fruit or cream cheese to each indentation; sprinkle with streusel, about 1 teaspoon. For a combo of cream cheese and fruit filling, fill kolaches with 1 tablespon of cream cheese, make a teaspoon-sized indentation in center of cream cheese filling them fill with 1 teaspoon fruit filling.
    
13. Bake kolaches until edges are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of sides registers 180 -190°, 12 to 13 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway. 
14. Transfer kolaches to a rack to cool. 

 

Dried Plum Filling    Makes about 1 cup

6 oz. dried pitted plums (prunes), about 1 cup

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 

Place plums in saucepan and soak with water until plumped and softened, about 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients and heat over medium to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until plums are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer plum mixture to food processor and purée. 

Let filling cool before using.

 

Sweetened Cream Cheese Filling    Makes about 1 cup 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar (sift if lumpy)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Beat together all ingredient with a mixer on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

 

Streusel Topping    Makes about 1/3 cup

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients; let butter solidify for at least 15 minutes.

Stir streusel to create finer crumbs to use as the kolache topping. (I used my fingers to create the fine crumbles after the butter had completely solidified.)

Recipes without photos . . .

Kolaches with fruit & cheese filling and streusel      Makes 12 kolaches

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided + more as needed as dough is mixed

1 cup whole milk, warmed and divided (I warmed to about 115°)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) instant or active dry yeast

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon minced lemon zest

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tablespoon while milk, beaten

Fillings: Dried Plum Filling (recipe follows), Cream Cheese Filling (recipe follows) or favorite jams or fruit butters such as cheery or apricot or other tradition additions such poppy seed filling 

Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

1. Combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk, sugar & yeast in mixing bowl that will be used to prepare dough; let rest until mixture become bubbly, about 15 minutes (mine was bubbly in less time).
2. In another bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup milk, butter, 1 egg, egg yolk, zest, and salt; add to yeast mixture.
3. Add remaining 2 3/4 cup flour, in 3 additions, stirring after each addition until dough comes together.
4. Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface; knead with floured hands, adding extra flour as needed, a little at a time, until dough is sooth and it springs back when pressed with a finger, about 10 minutes. Dough should be slightly tacky and a little greasy but not sticky. Avoid adding too much flour. (I used a dough hook to mix my dough.)
5. Transfer dough to a bowl coated with nonstick spray; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
6. Turn out dough onto counter, punch down, then divide into 12 even pieces. 
7. Shape pieces into balls, pinch closed and smooth seams.
8. Arrange balls on parchment (or silicon)-lined baking sheets, several inches apart; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
9. Preheat over to 375° with racks in upper and lower thirds.
10. Press a deep indentation in center of each dough ball using back of a tablespoon measure and your fingers.
11. Brush egg wash on sides and tops of indented dough balls, avoiding indentations.
12. Add 1 tablespoon fruit or cream cheese to each indentation; sprinkle with streusel, about 1 teaspoon. For a combo of cream cheese and fruit filling, fill kolaches with 1 tablespon of cream cheese, make a teaspoon-sized indentation in center of cream cheese filling them fill with 1 teaspoon fruit filling.
13. Bake kolaches until edges are golden brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest part of sides registers 180 -190°, 12 to 13 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway. 
14. Transfer kolaches to a rack to cool. 

 

Dried Plum Filling    Makes about 1 cup

6 oz. dried pitted plums (prunes), about 1 cup

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Place plums in saucepan and soak with water until plumped and softened, about 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients and heat over medium to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until plums are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer plum mixture to food processor and purée. 

Let filling cool before using.

 

Sweetened Cream Cheese Filling    Makes about 1 cup 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar (sift if lumpy)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Beat together all ingredient with a mixer on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

 

Streusel Topping    Makes about 1/3 cup

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients; let butter solidify for at least 15 minutes.

Stir streusel to create finer crumbs to use as the kolache topping. (I used my fingers to create the fine crumbles after the butter had completely solidified.)