Kolache MAKES 8 (3-INCH) PASTRIES
When Czech immigrants came to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they brought the kolache, a buttery roll filled with fruit or poppy seeds. Once the dessert of simple peasants, kolache came to be served at occasions ranging from church fundraisers to weddings. Even today, Czech-American communities across the Great Plains, including New Prague in our own home state of Minnesota, celebrate their heritage with annual kolache festivals. The world’s largest known kolache, weighing in at 2,605 pounds, was made in Prague, Nebraska, but your family will be just as impressed by these bite-sized versions. 1½ pounds (small cantaloupe–size portion) Amish-Style Milk Bread dough (see recipe right) all-purpose flour, for dusting egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), for brushing the loaf 1 cup filling (such as almond cream, applesauce or prune filling) 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 2. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1½-pound (small cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a rough ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. 3. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a ½-inch-thick rectangle, about 8×9 inches, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. 4. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about a dozen circles. (Return the scraps to the bucket of dough to use later.) Lay the dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes; they should be very soft and puffy. 5. Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven. 6. Make an indent in the middle of each dough round, about 1½ inches in diameter. Fill that indent with 2 tablespoons of your prepared filling of choice. Brush the exposed edges with the egg wash. 7. Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown. Serve warm or cooled.
RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “HOLIDAY AND CELEBRATION BREAD IN 5 MINUTES A DAY: SWEET AND DECADENT BAKING FOR EVERY OCCASION” BY ZOË FRANÇOIS AND JEFF HERTZBERG, M.D. ©2018 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ST. MARTIN’S PRESS NEW YORK. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH KIEFFER AND ZOË FRANÇOIS.
Amish-Style Milk Bread MAKES 2 (2-POUND) LOAVES
2½ cups whole milk 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon granulated yeast 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/3 cup sugar 6¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup potato flour 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 1. Mix the milk, eggs, yeast, salt and sugar in a 6-quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container. 2. Mix the flours and butter with the milk mixture without kneading, using a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), a Danish dough whisk or a spoon. 3. Cover (not airtight), allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours, and then refrigerate. 4. The dough can be used as soon as it’s thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours. Refrigerate the container and use over the next 5 days. 5. Proceed to Kolache recipe step 2 for preparing and baking Kolache with this dough. Cook’s Note: To make into a loaf, dust refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe-size portion, form into an oval, and place in a greased 81/2x 41/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rest at room temp for 90 minutes. Brush top with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) and bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes. Remove from pan to cool.
spring 2019 real food 5
