Easy Apple Kolaches recipe has a warm cinnamon and brown sugar apple filling nestled in a soft kolache dough. They taste bakery delicious but are easy enough to make at home.
5cupsall-purpose flourmay need an up to an additional cup
4egg yolksroom temperature
1tspsalt
1/4cupunsalted buttersoftened
*Apple Filling (optional)
4applesGranny Smith or Braeburn (about 4 cups diced)
1lemonjuiced
1cupbrown sugar
1/4tspwater
2tspcinnamon
2tbspcorn starch
Streusel (optional)
1/3cupall-purpose flour
1/8tspcinnamon
1/4cupsugar
3tablespoonsmelted butter
Additional Ingredients: melted butter or egg wash
Instructions
Dough
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and warm milk. *Let rest for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add butter, egg yolks and yeast/milk mixture. Add enough remaining flour until no longer too sticky to handle.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.
Butter (or grease) 3 baking sheets. Cover a kitchen scale with plastic wrap. Punch dough down and tear off 1 1/2 ounce pieces of dough. Shape into smooth round balls with seams on the bottom. Place 12 on each greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and allow to double, approximately 60 minutes.
Using your thumbs, make a depression in each roll large enough to hold 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling. Don't press through the bottom of the roll. Brush with melted butter again or use an egg wash with the left over egg whites. Fill with desired filling. Sprinkle with streusel if desired.
Bake at 350° F for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and rotate pans halfway through baking.
Dutch Apple Filling
In a 2-quart saucepan combine diced apples, water, and the juice of one lemon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool while the dough rises. NOTE: Add an additional tbsp of corn starch if the filling doesn't thicken. Water content can be very different according to the apple variety.
Streusel (optional)
Cut the flour, sugar, and cinnamon together with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers. Drizzle with the melted butter and fluff together with a fork.
Video
Notes
Instant or Quick Rise yeasts don't have to bloom and can be added directly to the recipe.
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.