Sausage Kolache

in Bread, Breakfast, Pastry, Pork, Sausage

Texas-Style Homemade Sausage Kolache

Near the top of my list of reasons why I could never move away from Texas, right under “free grandparent babysitting,” is kolache.

That list also includes other things like the Texans, quick access to beautiful grapefruit from the Rio valley, homemade tortillas from any number of nearby Mexican markets, Hill Country barbecue, a nearly year-long vegetable garden season, real Tex-Mex, and picking strawberries in February.

And not having to constantly answer “Oh, wow! Are you from Dallas?” when I pronounce a word with a long i. Like riiiice. And liiiight.

A Kolache, in its more traditional form, is a soft, sweet Czech breakfast pastry topped with fruit or cream cheese. During the summer, there is almost nothing better than having a tray full of peach kolache taking up the entire top shelf of your fridge!

“Sausage kolache” have become a Texas breakfast staple and were super popular at my parents’ bakery. It’s the same soft, sweet dough wrapped around a link of sausage. Bakeries typically use breakfast link sausages in their “small” kolaches but I prefer to start my day with a “big” kolache – stuffed with a smoked sausage link (the kind you’d normally find on a grill during the summer), fresh jalapeno slices, and cheddar. The sweet dough and the smokey meat make for a delicious breakfast.

And not surprisingly, you don’t find yourself thinking about lunch until it’s almost time for dinner.

This recipe for kolache dough is the closest I’ve ever found to both what my parents used and what the little shops further west sell. Use your favorite sausage – we used a Smoked Jalapeno-Cheddar Venison sausage in our latest batch. We usually freeze half a batch in a large ziptop bag and keep the other half in the fridge. The frozen kolache can thaw overnight on the top shelf of the fridge and be ready to reheated in the microwave the next day.

Sausage Kolache

Texas-style homemade sausage kolache are a savory twist on the classic Czech breakfast pastry.

Ingredients

  • For the dough:
  • 1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup water, warmed to 110-115F
  • 1 cup milk, warmed to 110-115F
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled to warm
  • 2 large eggs
  • 5/8 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 3/4 - 5 1/2 cups flour
  • For the filling:
  • Grated cheddar, optional
  • Fresh jalapeno slices, optional
  • Smoked sausage, cut into 3-4 inch pieces and halved lengthwise if very thick

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle the yeast over warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let proof for 5 minutes, until foamy/creamy.
  2. Turn the mixer to low and add the milk, melted butter, 2 eggs, sugar, and salt until mixed thoroughly.
  3. Add the flour in two batches (start with the low amount) and mix only until just combined. The dough will be tacky but should be firm enough to crawl up the dough hook. Add additional flour as necessary.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled.
  5. Punch down and refrigerate covered overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  6. Divide dough into ~2.5 inch balls (I weighed mine at 2.5 oz each) and set on a lined baking sheet.
  7. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
  8. Flatten each dough ball and top with a couple slices of jalapeno and pinch of grated cheddar (if using) and place the sausage on top.
  9. Wrap the dough around the fillings, pinching the edges together and placing seam-side down on the baking sheet.
  10. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes, while preheating oven to 375.
  11. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until browned.
  12. Let the kolache cool for 20 minutes and serve.
  13. Leftovers will keep tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3-4 days and can also be frozen.

Notes

Yields: ~15 large kolache

Adapted from The Pastry Queen

Estimated time: 7 hours

176 comments… add one
  • I think my husband will propose again if I serve him this for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner)… πŸ˜€

  • I’ve never heard of kolaches before!! They look amazing!

    • theresa

      they are EXCELLENT! got them from a bakery called The Kolache Bakery in Arlington TX when we lived there….to die for, they are so good, fruit – cream cheese – and sausage. I bought ingredients to try this recipe.

  • I think kolaches are third on my parents’ list of reasons for moving to Texas, behind grandaughter and daughter. They love them and so do I, they totally trump doughnuts.

    • Lisa

      I thought we were the only ones that missed Texas kolaches. No one here in AZ knows what a kolache is. We are so happy to have this kolache recipe(0=

      • Robin

        I am a misplaced Texan currently in Sacramento, CA. They have no clue to what a kolache is or tastes like. There is a definite market for them out here for someone who has the hutzpah to open a bakery. I miss all the food that was listed in the above article and plan to give this recipe a try.

        • Sabrina

          Hi!
          I just wanted to say that I live in Arizona, and totally know what these are. I sure wish I could go and pick one up! Glad for this recipe, though.

      • Becky

        In Idaho they have no clue what kolache’s are, and boy do i miss them also..

      • Milo

        Rainbow donuts on 7th street in north central Phoenix has Texas style Kolaches! I go there all the time.

  • How many does this recipe make?

  • My husband and I moved to Austin last summer and ever since I have been in love with the great foodie culture around here, and all over Texas. It’s a fabulous place to get a taste of everything, and it’s always fun to find new Texas specialities like these kolaches that I wasn’t aware of! Thanks for sharing, Shawnda. I’ll have to try these for myself!

    • ROXANNE

      West, TX, south of Dallas on I-35 is the kolache capital of Texas. West was settled by Czech immigrants and they have both savory and fruit kolaches.

  • Sweet baby Jesus, I think I love you Shawnda πŸ˜‰ I LOVE kolaches (I’m a Texas girl, too)…add some jalapenos in there, and I can eat way more than my weight in them!! Thanks for sharing this!

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this recipe! I LOVE Kolaches and I’ve been searching for the perfect recipe that included a sweeter dough to offset the spicy sausage I prefer to use. These sound amazing and I will be making them this week!

  • This Texas girl has been wanting to attempt homemade kolaches for a while – thank you for this recipe – I can’t wait to try them! πŸ™‚

  • Jessie

    Thanks for the post! Having just moved to Austin, I kept thinking, “What the heck are Kolaches?!” These sound yummy!

    • Same here, Jessie! I just moved to Austin last week. I’ve already discovered this yummy goodness!!

      • marie

        I grew up with the sweet dessert version of these, poppy seed being the traditional Czech filling. The sausage version is something i never heard of till moving to Texas, so making these will be a chance to try them.
        You can find Kolache anywhere Czechs settled – Berwyn Illinois, Northeast Wisconsin, Cedar Rapids Iowa, Nebraska and of course where the smart Czechs settled, TEXAS!
        There is a Polish dessert version that uses a totally different dough – one with cream cheese in it. Hard to work with and not friendly to the Texas heat.

  • bmk

    I would definitely miss kolaches if I left Texas! These look fantastic. I’m definitely going to need to try this homemade version!

    • jeanine

      Only one of three things keeping me in Texas is Kolaches! The kids come in tied for second place. Jj lol

  • Oh, I agree. I love sausage kolaches.

  • Wow! I’ve never even heard of these! I love to have things like this around for breakfast – especially the leftover ones for the week ahead. The combo of sausage, jalepeno, and cheddar sounds amazing too….

  • I sometimes think about leaving NYC after med school…but then I remember that when I have kids, my mom is going to be my totally free-of-charge day care center. So…can’t do that. πŸ˜›

    These sound awesome! I have some really good veggie sausage in my fridge that is begging to be stuffed into a bread exterior!

  • I loved the other varieties as well, namely ham and cheese and bacon and egg. I think I could adapt safely, don’t you?

  • I have family in Texas and I’ve never heard of these before! Something tells me I’ll be my husband’s hero if these show up on our breakfast table :).

  • My family heritage is Czech, so I’ve had the traditional fruit kolache. Never had a sausage one – YUM!

  • Amanda

    I have been craving a sausage and cheese kolache for weeks. What’s a pregnant Texan uprooted to Hawaii to do?!

    • Skip

      I know this was an old post. Thought it worthwhile to try to respond. As a person who grew up in Hawaii then lived in Dallas and Houston I would strongly recommend you try Managua if you haven’t already. Sweet dough with char siu in the middle. Loved them. Am going to try to make Kolaches today.

  • chenda

    OMG! Can’t wait to try this recipe, I love kolaches, especially the ones with the boudin sausage! I wish there was a kolache bakery here in Arizona.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    • Candace Prosser

      Those are my favorite too…funny part is that I have lived in TX all my life and had sausage coaches, but just discovered boudain coaches 2 weeks ago.

    • Rosalie Kramer

      There is a kolache bakery in San Tan Valley that just opened a couple of months ago.

  • Susan

    I just discovered your blog and everything looks amazing! I’m from Texas but live in Nashville now, and none of my friends know what a kolache is! I’m definitely going to test out this recipe soon so that they can all can experience the amazing-ness they are missing!

    • Laura

      Hey Susan. I’m just seeing your post from a few years ago. You may have discovered this already, but there is a donut place in Clarksville called Shipley’s Donuts and they have kolachis. The sausage one. Very tasty! I’m a transplanted Texan in east TN. BOY! do I miss BBQ brisket, kolachis and real Tex-Mex! I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  • Trini

    I just discovered your blog and I cant stop reading your recipes!!! I will definitely try this one this weekend πŸ™‚ I have one question… I live in Spain and I just find dry yeast in big packages… about 500grams… can you please tell me the quantity you used for this recipe? Thanks!!!

    • Hi Trini! A package of yeast here contains 2 1/4 tsp = .25 ounce = or right at 7 grams. Good luck!

      • Trini

        Thanks!!! I will try it… I’m sure my husband will love it! πŸ™‚

  • Jennifer

    When you let it proof for 1 to 2 hours. Do you place it in a warm place or will it rise anywhere? Thanks

    • Yes, you’ll want to stick the bowl some place warm.

    • ashley

      When I rise bread I usually put it the microwave, or set the oven to warm then turn it off and put my bread in it. Speeds up the process tremendously…

  • KE

    I really want to make these today! Does the recipe work without refrigerating the dough? Thanks!

    • It can work, but you get a lot of flavor development in the dough if you let it slow-rise in the fridge overnight.

  • Laura

    Thanks for the recipe. I’m a native Texan transplanted to Arizona and kolaches are one of the things I miss most about home! I never dreamed that I wouldn’t be able to find them ANYWHERE here!

  • Tasha

    My famy and i are from corpus currently stationed in kansas and there are NO DONUT shops any where near us. So everytime we go on vacation we have kolaches practicly every morning lol but now thanks to this recipe we will get to have them every saturday or sunday morning.

  • Susie

    I just moved from Texas to Colorado. I had no idea that sausage kolaches were a Texas thing. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m hoping I can keep a little Texas tradition going and make these for our weekend breakfasts. We were spoiled in Texas because all of the mom & pop donut shops had a variety of kolache flavors and sizes.

  • Delicate

    I have a question… I made these this morning and I let it develop in the fridge over night covered with wax paper and foil and the top of the bread was a little dry.. well I should say dryer than the bread was last night… is this the way it is supposed to be or do you cover in oil to keep this from happening. Other than that my family really liked it they just wanted more meat and cheese inside. And do you think I could add a tad more sugar to make it just a touch sweeter?

    • Definitely could add a couple more Tbsp of sugar if you want a sweeter dough. I cover the mixer bowl with foil. Straight out of the freezer, the dough feels a little stiff/dry but after it warms up, it feels fresh & pliable.

  • Thank you sooo much! Love these. Great instructions. Follow them and you will really be proud! Very good recipe, plus I’m doing lots f different filings. Love these. Thank you again. Just make the dairy and water warm. I used a candy thermometer. You cannot go wrong! Yummy!

  • Tien

    My husband and I live in Texas and we love kolaches.
    Thank you for posting this recipe. They tasted great.

    My dough was extremely sticky and I had a hard time forming the balls. Is there a trick to handle sticky dough?

    • It shouldn’t be overly sticky, might need an extra 2-4Tbsp in the dough next time. Otherwise, I just keep the flour container next to me when I’m working to keep my hands & work surface dusted.

      • ashley

        Hi! I found this recipe yesterday and jumped right on it! I’m a homesick Texan and have been searching high and low for the perfect kolache recipe. These came out deliciously but I had a slight problem stuffing the sticky dough… When you say extra 2-4 Tbsp, are you referring to flour when making the dough? Just want to try a few different options.

        • Yes – if the dough is too sticky, it just needs an extra spoonful or two of flour to firm up. It has been crazy humid here lately – I had to add nearly an extra half cup this weekend!

          • Abby

            Another homesick Texan here. Maybe it’s because it’s so cold and dry here (New York winter, nose bleeds aplenty!) but my dough was not rising and was very dry, and I didn’t even use all the flour. I just added some more water and yeast after letting it sit over night, I’m hoping this will help. It’s my first time making dough that’s needs to rise, so I’m a bit clueless… should I start over if it doesn’t start to rise soon?

          • Your use should get puffy after 5-10 minutes and then you should definitely see your dough increase in size after an hour. If that doesn’t happen, it’s either too cold or the yeast isn’t good. Try turning on your oven for 2 minutes with the door closed and then turning it off. This will warm it up a bit and give the yeast a better place to rise. But if nothing happens, start over.

  • Derrick

    I have never much cared for Texas. Never liked the ultra-conservative politics (in the area I lived at), didn’t much care for the flatness of the landscape, and I despised the sticky heat in the summer. I don’t mind the loss of Texas Barbecue because the Santa Maria style barbecue I get here in California (20 miles from Santa Maria) is just as good. Neither my wife nor I have close family there any longer, so that isn’t an issue. But there are three things that I miss from Texas that make me almost weep because I can’t find them anywhere close to me now (strangely, they are all food related). Double Dave’s pepperoni rolls, BlueBell Ice Cream… and Sausage and cheese Kolaches. The first one I have learned to make a close approximation myself. The second has some adequate substitutes in other brands. But the last one – if you talk about kolaches with people outside of Texas, they look at you like you are speaking a foreign language. If this recipe can actually approximate the consistency and sweetness of the dough used in the kolaches I remember, I will be a happy camper once again.

    • Kim Herning

      Missing Texas food items here too. Ah , yes Double Dave’s pepperoni rolls, I liked those too. This dough is spot on to the sausage rolls I would buy at the donut shops and Kolache Bakery.

    • Drew

      Politics in a baking blog? You are a tool.

  • Kim Herning

    Oh YES ! These are it ! Having recently moved back to Alaska after living in Texas for 26 years this is
    one thing I miss on Sunday mornings. There are no Kolache bakeries or donut shops here making these
    little bundles of Heaven ! Your recipe recreates them exactly and I have modified you dough recipe to make in my bread machine, couldn’t be easier. Thank you.

    • John Tillman

      Kim, I’m interested in using my bread machine in making this kolache dough. Would you mind sharing with me your modified dough recipe for the bread machine. Thank you so much.

      • Kim Herning

        John, just follow your bread machines directions. I use this recipe and add wet ingredients with the salt to the pan first. Then I add 3/4 of the flour with the yeast on top, program for the dough cycle and hit start. I add the rest of the flour, a few tablespoons at a time after the initial flour is incorporated. After the first rise, I place the dough in the fridge and follow the rest of the directions exactly.

    • Linda

      Kim, could you share those modifications for the bread machine??

      • tamara

        Yes please share bread machine instructions

  • April G.

    My husband and I are from Texas originally but have been living in North Carolina for the last 3 years. The one food I have missed more than anything is Texas Kolaches! There’s nothing like them around here and most people I talk to don’t even know what they are. Can’t wait to make these. I’m going to surprise my husband and he is going to freak out! Thanks so much!

  • Graham

    My wife & I moved to Richmond, Tx from UK, and thanks to a friendly neighbo(u)r, soon discovered a local bakery which sold Jalapeno & Cheese Sausage Kolaches.
    These became something of a Sunday morning ritual…, even for our family & friends visiting from UK.
    Regrettably, we had to return to UK 18 months ago, as my job went ‘west’ with the downturn…
    We miss many things, but have often wished for a Sausage Kolache on a Sunday morning…
    Now, with the help of this recipe we can soften the blow…
    Thank You.

  • Margaret

    If I want to make these whole wheat kolaches, what would the flour substitution be?

    • I’d substitute no more than 50% of the flour with whole wheat. Will take longer to rise, too.

      • Margaret

        I substituted white whole wheat flour cup for cup, and they turned out fantastic! I’m going to have to make these constantly; they’re my boyfriend’s new favorite breakfast. Thanks so much!

  • Carey

    I am so excited to try this recipe. My mother is Czech, and kolaches are from that country. My very large extended Czech family in Iowa requires! kolache’s for our annual family reunion. I have never seen them in Texas, where my dad’s very large extended family is (he was 5th generation Texan). A friend at work here in Washington State told me about the fantastic sausage Kolaches they found in Temple, TX. We are going on a ski vacation in Glacier National Park and he and his wife asked me to make sausage kolaches for out trip. Wow! My Czech and Texas heritage mix again with this recipe!

  • Caren King

    Thank you for posting this recipe! I had never heard of kolaches until I went to Houston this last February with a friend to see her new home. My first discovery was Buccees and looking at all the really neat food they have there….turkey jerky, fudge, breakfast burittos…and then lo and behold….the kolaches. My friend told me I had to try one because she just loved them. I was skeptical. I like dough covered food (or just dough – friend and glazed please). At first bite I heard angels sing…or I think it was angels…maybe it was the piped in music in the store. I don’t know and at that point, didn’t care. I do know that I could have been alone in that store for all the attention I paid to anyone else after that first bite. I ended up having another one and swearing that I would find a recipe for them that would bring me back that little roll of heaven I had that day. I swore that was the best thing I had eaten in years and then I had Beaver Nuggets….cue the angel singing again because those little crispy chunks of sweetness are a religious experience all of their own! But that’s a story for a different day.

  • John Tillman

    I have a question about the sausage in the sausage kolache. The smoked sausage does not need to be pre-heated or re-cooked prior to being placed into the dough covering, correct? But if using raw, uncooked breakfast sausage links, then they would need to be cooked before going into the dough covering, right?

    • Yeah. I always use the “smoked”-type varieties. They have small, breakfast-link-sized pieces that work perfectly without needing to cut them.

  • robin

    Amazing recipe!!! Living in louisiana n it taste just like the bakery!! Hubby n kids r in love :)Ty soo much for sharing!!

  • Jill

    I moved to Colorado 6 years ago and I am a native Texan. Never knew kolaches weren’t everywhere!!! So glad to find your recipe- these are one of my all time favorite things that I miss. You start talking to people and yes, they look at you like you are crazy when you mention kolaches. Miss these and Antone’s poboys the most! Thank you for putting this recipe out there!!!!

    • jeanine

      I know how y’all feel about kolaches when you move out of state. I moved to Texas from NYC about 13 years ago and I STILL crave NYC pizza and the square potato kninshes you could find on just about any street corner. ????????????

  • Katie

    CANNOT wait to try these! I’m from Idaho and we lived in Houston for 2 years where I fell madly in love with kolaches. No one outside of Texas even knows what they are. Thanks for sharing!!

  • Mary Ann

    I had to throw a batch of your dough out yesterday because it wouldn’t rise. You didn’t mention the TSP of sugar that needs to be sprinkled on top of the yeast for proofing. I found that note on another recipe. It’s rising now. WooHoo

    • I don’t add sugar to the yeast when it proofs for this recipe.

  • Mary Ann

    Wow doesn’t it need to rise? One more thing I’m glad I peeked in about half way through because mine were ready in about 15 minutes. Does the time change with the size if the kolache? It was delicious though. I made breakfast suasage, ham and swiss, and once I ran out of everything then I had 3 with swiss only. It was delicious!
    Thank you for sharing

  • These came out very good! I only had to bake them for about 16-18 minutes in my oven (it’s gas and wall mounted, not very big) I didn’t have to add sugar to the yeast as Mary Ann mentioned above. It rose just fine using Fleischmann’s ActiveDry Yeast. Here is a photo of the results https://dl.dropbox.com/u/8396628/kolcaches.jpg

    Notice that a piece of sausage came out of the kolache. Next time i’ll pinch them a little better. Thanks again for the recipe!

  • Megan

    I was born and raised in Texas, so when I moved to Alaska a month ago I had no idea people wouldn’t even now what kolaches are! I have my dough in the refrigerator now and can’t wait to get them in the oven!!! Thanks for the recipe!

    • Kim Herning

      Welcome to the Big state ! Hope you are settling in . This website has been invaluable help for recreating some of my favorites that I used to be able to enjoy in local restraunts.

  • Jeffery

    I made these as well. It was my first time to work with yeast. My dough was very sticky as well. The finished product also seemed to be a bit thick. Any suggestions? I also cut my cooking time to 18 minutes. My first batch was cooked for 25 minutes and the product was a bit over cooked. The flavor was great.

  • I live in texas.My boyfriend and I love Kolaches.I am so glad I came across your website.I will be trying your receipe soon.Thank you sooooo much.Now we can have them anytime we want.

  • Amnda

    I am a homesick Texas away for school in Cali and i have been dying for a kolache! this recipe is going to save me! i could cry i am so happy!

  • maryann

    I am from Va but growing up we went to Texas Allll the time..nanny and the rest of the fam lives there…we ALWAYS stopped at Busy Bees in fort worth and took several dozen home. They have THE best kolaches. I wish they shipped!! πŸ™ tried to make them and its just not Busys…

  • JD

    They just came out of the oven and they are AWESOME. Thanks for a great recipe. As a misplaced Texan I can’t help but miss the Czech Stop in West. You have saved the day!

    • Donna

      Love the Czech shop!!

    • Camille hooper

      Czech Stop has a website! Maybe they ship kolaches?

  • Christi

    I am a Texan, transplanted in ohio!
    Kolaches, the beach, and really all the food and all the people are what I miss most!
    In fact today I explained yo my 12 yr old don that all good food, especially his favorites are from Texas!
    My kids both love BBQ and Mexican and their ultimate favorite is papadeaux!
    Crazy, in the blood. Now they can appreciate kolachis if I can get the dough right. Thank you for the recipe.we usually only get these once a yr when we visit tx!

    • Donna

      Why did you have to mention BBQ, Mexican (Tex-Mex is the best!) and Pappadeaux? You have made me hungry for all of them! We have been in the Chicago area for 3 months now and I miss Texas food like crazy!!!

  • Donna

    THANK YOU…THANK YOU…THANK YOU for sharing this recipe! As a displaced Texan living in a suburban Chicago area where not only no bakery sell kolaches, most of them have no idea what one is!! For almost 3 months now I have been craving a sausage kolache so I turned to the internet and just yesterday I found your recipe and made the dough. This morning our family enjoyed hot, fresh kolaches for breakfast…this recipe was a hit!!

  • Jill Campbell

    I love these kolaches!! They taste just like the bakery variety. I was so pleased that I made another batch today to freeze. I used my bread machine dough setting to make the dough – just added the liquids first then the flour and yeast on top – the dough was perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe – they really turn out great. Now that I can make my own I think we will be having kolaches a lot more often now.

  • Maria DelaCroix

    What’s the longest you (or another follower) have frozen these? Anything special to it? And, btw, I find that I can get 24 kolaches out of this recipe, easily. I also only bake these 16 – 18 min., but at 425 degrees. Yesterday for the first time I skipped the overnight rise and, well, I preferred them! Also, btw, if you end up with a bit extra – make minis with pumpkin butter. The dough and the filling match in an obscenely good way!

  • Maryann

    We live in Texas and would like to take kolaches to NM for our daughters wedding. I do not want to make them there but would like to freeze them and take in a cooler. We will have to spend the night on the way and maybe they will thaw out): Maybe this is not a good idea but if you have any recommendation much appreciated(;

    • I would bake, cool completely, and then bag them up in freezer bags and go straight from the freezer to a cooler with a bag of ice on the bottom. Just keep them as cold as possible – I have kolaches in the fridge for several days and they’re fine. Reheat them in an oven on baking pans covered tightly with foil to keep them from drying out. Good luck!

  • Lori

    These turned out great! They were very easy to make and look just like the picture. They have a wonderful yeast flavor. I will definitely use this recipe again since it makes the perfect amount and tastes just like they would at a bakery. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  • Shayne

    Can’t wait to try these on the big green egg this weekend! Thankfully, I live in Texas and enjoy kolaches frequently, but I’m really excited about how they will turn out with a little smoke added. Thanks for the recipe!

  • MJ Horton

    We’re getting ready to add hot breakfast sandwiches to our donut shop and these are top of our list. We’re in PA coal regions, with a strong Slavic influence – so we’re going to experiment with local sausage or kielbasa. CANNOT WAIT to try with jalapenos… Mm Mm. Any ideas on how to keep hot and fresh? Does the dough get soggy? We like to serve everything fresh and homemade. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. These look wonderful!!

    • The dough won’t get soggy. My parents used to bake them by the large pan and then put them on the serving racks at their bakery. They always flew off the shelves. For later-morning purchases, they either had kolache proofing in the box to bake fresh or microwaved individual orders for ~10 seconds.

  • KC in Texas

    Klobasnik is what they are called with sausage. Hruska’s on Hwy 71 for the best

    • Susie

      I look forward to making these!! A relative newcomer to the retail kolache market is Monica’s in Jarrell, on IH-35 north of Georgetown (between Austin and Waco). We had Monica make some small fruit kolaches for our daughter’s wedding reception and the guests polished them off in record time. Many of the guests were die-hard West fans, but they now go to Monica’s on their trek north instead of West. We love West, but much prefer Monica’s kolaches. Her Klobasniks are really really good!

  • Camille

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I have a batch cooling right now and they smell awesome! Can’t wait to try them! Missed the exit to Czech Stop on the way back to Houston (road construction. :-() so thought i’d make my own!

  • Beth Anne Ward

    Just wanted to say these are so yummy!! I made these for my husband to take to work this morning and he was so happy!! I also used my breadmaker to make the dough and they turned out great!! The house smells incredible!!! Thanks!! πŸ˜€

  • Julie

    I have just tried this recipe. Well, it’s currently in the oven… I’ve made kolaches before, but liked that yours made a smaller batch than mine. I have a concern. My dough was exceptionally sticky. To the point I could barely add the sausage much less the cheese. I double checked the recipe and my ingredients. I’m sure I used large eggs as opposed to extra large (I made that mistake before…). Maybe I live in a more humid region and need more flour? I managed to get the dough wrapped around the sausage and into the oven just to test the flavor.

  • Julie

    I need help troubleshooting this recipe. I just made the kolaches with sausage only. The flavor is good. However while making them the dough was extremely wet and sticky. As the recipe states I expected some stickiness, but this was to the point it was very difficult to shape. My fingers looked like they had a glove of dough. I followed the recipe very close. I made sure I hadn’t accidentally picked up extra-large eggs as I’ve made that mistake before. As I live in a tropical region, maybe the humidity is higher here therefore I needed to add more flour?
    I have another kolache recipe that I have used numerous times with success, but yours made a much smaller batch. As I was searching for a weekend breakfast as opposed to a bake sale quantity, I liked the smaller output.
    As I said, the flavor is right, but surely the dough should be easier to handle.

    • It shouldn’t be “dough glove” sticky. Try adding up to a 1/2 cup more flour next time. There are times I have to add that much… and other times I don’t.

  • Elise

    Someone may have already asked this question but do you let the dough warm to room temp before you divide into balls or can you just divide them up right out of the refrigerator? Thanks for this recipe! As most of the other posters are, I am a native Texan with a transplant husband and we are crazy for sausage kolaches as well. I am giving these a try tomorrow.

    • You can divide them up straight out of the fridge – and the dough will come to room temp faster as dough balls.

  • Guts

    Thanks for the recipe Shawnda, they turned out perfect and my famiy liked them more than our bakery version. So I guess l’m on the hook for making them from now on. FYI, these are really called Kloboniski. Kolaches are the jam pastries.

    • jeff

      In Texas, they are Kolaches…ask for Kloboniskis and you will go hungry. The Czech stop calls themKolaches…..good enough for me.

  • Hrt

    I’ve tried a few different kolache recipes and although I liked them, this one is by far the best! The dough is soft and light with a hint of sweet, it’s the pairs perfectly with a spicy sausage. YUM!

  • Jordyn

    Do I need to cook the sausage before placing it in the kolaches to bake?

    • We use precooked/smoked sausage links. If you’re using a sausage that isn’t cooked, definitely cook it first.

  • Another Texas-Ex here. Born and raised there and lived in Austin for years for school and beyond. Add me to the list of people missing Texas kolaches. Lived in Minnesota after Texas and they have a treat by a similar name but the dough is far more like pastry and they are very thin. Not raised and chewy. Anyway thanks for the treat!
    See my DIY page here – http://matsutakeblog.blogspot.com

  • Anita Howard

    OH MY GOODNESS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this!!! Native Texan (like most here) transplanted to Iowa and every summer when i would go home for a visit my mother would send me to the bakery! I had NO idea this was a Texas specific food until just a few days ago and I’ve been away from Texas for about 18 years now! I’ve never looked around here but now that I’ve been DYING to have some, i realize i just might have a business because i can’t find them ANYWHERE! :p i can’t WAIT to try the recipe today! All great questions with great info! I will post the results later! WISH ME LUCK!

  • Toe Knee

    Ok y’all, I am a Kentuckian who, while in the Navy and stationed at NAVMARCORRESCEN Houston, absolutely fell in love with kolaches! Of course upon returning home NOBODY had ever heard of a kolache. So, I made my own. I took crescent roll dough, cut each one into a smaller triangle, made them into balls, and rolled them flat on flour. Little smokies, cheddar cheese slices, ham and cheese, jalapeno juice. Works in a pinch but I want a REAL one. Will try your recipe soon!

  • Susan

    I, too, have missed Texas sausage kolaches since I returned to the Midwest. I am thrilled to have this recipe so I can make my own now. Thank you!

  • donna

    I was wondering if anyone could help me,,i make sausage kolaches at my job and I need to know how to keep the sausage inside the dough when i pull them out of the oven the dough is nice and pretty but the meat is coming out the bottom,,,if theres anyone who could please help me i would really appreciate it ,,, my e-mail is dmd123468@gmail.com

  • I own a little bakery in Pennsylvania , I thought I would try making some of these. The health department said we are not permitted to make them and sell them here , unless we keep the refrigerated ! I never saw them refrigerated in Texas. The government here is crazy .

  • Margi

    Mis-placed Texan here. I use to live in Elgin, Tx and a polish lady opened a bakery that sold kolaches that has ground sausage (jimmy dean) and cheddar cheese. This was a side line to the baked goods. BUT one week after opening people were waiting in lines out the door for the sausage kolaches. People were buying dozens at a time so as to have some in the freezer for when she wasn’t open. Sadly she had MS and after a year was unable to continue much to everyone’s regret. This is the first that even sounds close as I have made others that just didn’t pan out. So this coming week maybe I will have a taste of Texas again.

  • Miriam

    Transplanted from Texas but just to Oklahoma. Still can’t find them here. I made these this morning and thy were awesome. My husband ate 5 in about 20 minutes of them coming out of oven!!

  • marcia cain

    is this dough need to be knead it !!!? after ingredients has been mix

    • This recipe does not require extra kneading after mixing.

  • Kylie

    These are delicious! Thank you for the amazing recipe! πŸ™‚

  • Bill Austin

    Jalapeno plants were bursting with peppers.. thought what to do with them.. sausage jalapeno kolaches …
    Yes… count me in with those that have grown up with those wonderful kolache of West…
    Google brought me here and I am now doing my second batch right now. Can wait till I fire the smoker for a brisket so I can do some sausage for a batch. Come to think of it .. brisket kolaches sound awesome too. Thanks for the recipe.

  • shane

    My question is we live at 6000′ above sea level how will this effect the recipe and what adjustments should be made. Like many of you we were born and lived in Texas our whole life’s and more we live in Salt Lake City for work and really miss them. And no one here knows what they are.

  • Holly

    I LOVE this recipe! Moved from TX to Nevada, and like a lot of you no one here has heard of a Kolache either. I have been trying for a couple years now to recreate them, but every attempt was off. This recipe is dead on the money. Perfect in every way! I use my bread machine to make the dough since I don’t have an upright mixer, but it works just the same. Highly recommend this recipe for all home sick Texans. Thinking of opening my own donut shop, and these would be amazing to carry! Thanks so much for posting this recipe!

  • Holly

    Not sure what I did wrong but the dough was dense and stuck to your teeth. I also found that the bottoms were overcooked at 20 mins. I did like the flavor of the bread just was hoping for something lighter.

    • Jessica

      I Baked mine on a pizza stone. Also try less water next time

  • Jessica

    I have had this for the first time in a bakery in Houston. This recipe is so much better. I bought fresh spicy Italian sausage!! They were amazing.

  • Gretchen

    This is the best kolache dough recipe I have found so far! Also a transplant from Austin to Napa, Ca – I didn’t realize that kolaches were a TX thang! Or that they were traditionaly sweet and fruity. I actually had my sister pick up a couple dozen for me before she drove out here! So happy I can make my own and have that fresh from the bakery flavor. I’ve also been experimenting with different fillings much like you would find at Kolache factory in H town. Ranchero ( egg, cheese and jalepeno) bacon, egg and cheese, and my favorite Chicken Enchilada! Thanks for the post!

    • I have never had the chicken enchilada kolache! Must fix that this weekend πŸ˜‰

    • What is your recipe forthe chicken enchilada recipe? Living in Phoenix half of my new family are Hispanic and I would love to surprise them with a treat like I think these would be… my email is copperleaftreasures@yahoo.com Thank You!

  • Dory

    Texans transplanted to East Africa – so excited about this recipe! Going to see if my Tanzanian friends approve!

    • Oh my gosh – I hope they love them! Mission:Kolache For Everyone!

  • I’m a Dutch(wo)man from Holland, MI..(transplanted to Phoenix, AZ about 34 yrs agonow)…these look very similar to what we lovingly refer to as “pig in the blankets”…I am not the baker my mom was, so I have to cheat, because out here everyone thinks a pancake rolled around a sausage link is a “pig in the blanket” = Wrong!!!! Te closest I can get cheating and my family loves them – Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastery Sheets (not phyllo sheets) rolled out thin and cut in to 2″ x 3″ sections…put savory breakfast sausage in center of the section and roll dough around the sausage. Be sure and pierce the raw dough before baking…425Β° for about 20 minutes until puffed & golden brown…we serve with ketchup…yummy…adjusting weeks grocery list right now…LOL

  • Robyn

    I am an Aussie and discovered Kolaches during a visit to friends in Texas. They are so delicious, I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m a bit unsure of the type of sausage to use, Aussie sausages are different to American. Could I use Chorizo?

    • Sure! The typical kolache is smoked link sausage but people use *everything* here.

  • Melissa

    My husband and I spent two years in Austin/Dallas. We often talk about missing the sausage kolache. This is amazing! Nebraska has no clue what their missing.

  • Ursula Dorthea

    Shawnda, like so many we left Texas and now live in Asheville, NC. There are NOOOO kolaches here!
    I’m going to try your recipe but I’m curious…..why does you recipe not have Crisco in it like other recipes online? Would that help control the stickiness???
    Thank you in advance for answering my question and for sharing the recipe!

  • Virginia

    Woah: I just had a really wonderful flashback to my time living in Houston when I saw “kolache”. Then I drooled down the front of myself reading this recipe. Living in Norway it is nearly impossible to find breakfast sausage (truly, a tragedy) but I think I can have a ball coming up with delicious fillings for these gorgeous pieces of perfection. Thanks so much!

  • Melissa

    do you have the recipe in weights? either grams or ounces?

    any help you have to offer is greatly appreciated

  • Melissa

    do you have the recipe in weights? either grams or ounces?

    any help you have to offer is greatly appreciated

  • Benjamin

    I am a misplaced Texan living in WI and I woke up yesterday dying for a Texas Sausage Kolache. Of course, no one round here has heard of them (much less makes them) so I committed to trying this recipe out. I loved it! It did take some time to prep as you are making your own dough from scratch but it I well worth the effort.

    The first suggestion for the recipe I had to figure out on my own was not to just β€œflatten” the dough balls but actually roll them out – I know this may seem like a difference in interpretation of words, but trust me, rolling them out gave me a bigger surface to work with (read: stuff more sausage and cheese into) and made for a lighter, more even ratio of bread vs. sausage & cheese. The first batch I made was too much bread even though each ball weighed about the same at 2.5 oz. When my wife β€œpointed” this out to me, I tried rolling the second batch to get them flatter and they came out much better.

    The second suggestion for the recipe would be to brush the tops of the Kolaches with melted butter as soon as you take out of the oven. Other than that I think the recipe is perfect.

    I also made some variations on stuffing (only limited to your imagination here) but I consider these an add-on to the recipe, not a change:

    – Scrambled eggs – scrambled on low heat, slowly until just about done (they will finish in the oven stuffed inside the Kolache without being overcooked)

    – Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

    I Love this recipe and appreciate you for sharing it with us.

  • brandy

    I’m not sure my dough rose very much at all.. I went ahead and punched it and it’s now chilling in the fridge over night. I was born and raised 34 years in Texas. .moved to arizona, Massachusetts, Florida and now wisconsin. No one.. and I mean no one has these little beauties said from texas. Went home for Xmas and I ate a dozen by myself. I miss home. I miss Texas .. there is really no place like it. Thank you for the recipe.. I’ll keep you posted on the final result.

  • brandy

    Oh….emmmmm…Geeee…. these turned out perfectly. The only change I made was I rolled the little balls out before filling. I’m so so so so happy. Thanks so much

  • Scott Koester

    I want to make these one time a day, but bake them throughout the morning. How can you store the kolaches (in the dough form ready to go into the oven) to preserve freshness until you bake them a few hours later?

    Thanks!
    Scott

    • The way we did it at our bakery: make kolache and chill, transfer to proofer for a bit, then the oven to bake.

  • Anthony

    I cant cant the number of Kolaches I have had from

    http://www.czechstop.net/

    in the town of West Texas

  • Zach

    As a former Texan, I just want to say thanks. These were awesome. I made them with Turkey & Swiss and Ham & Cheddar. I plan to try again with fruit fillings later. This is definitely going to be a regular recipe now.

  • Keri

    I moved to San Diego (from Arlington, TX) and I crave kolache often. Especially on the weekends when my boyfriend goes to the donut shop for his weekly donut fix. I have to try this recipe, because that is the only thing I want when he goes there and it is so disappointing and makes me homesick

  • Dianne

    So glad to find this recipe! These were my staple on my drive to work when I lived in Houston area. Lucky for me our local donut shop made these! πŸ™‚

  • Brandy

    Hi again!! I have made this recipe at least 20 times. I baked the for a fund raiser and they sold out in a short time. I do have a question. I doubled the recipe once and it turned out fine. I doubled it again and it didn’t. Is there a key to doubling this recipe? I make dozens and dozens at a time (family of 6) and freeze them , which they freeze awesomely, but it’s time consuming making one dough batch at a time. I’d appreciate any help with this. THANK YOU!!!!!! Texas girl stuck in Wisconsin and love having this recipe.

    • What happens to the dough when you double it? Sometimes I find that I need to use more flour than called for to get the dough to the proper consistency.

      • Brandy

        Thank you for replying. It turned into a goopy mess and I added lots more flour. Maybe it was just a mixup? I didn’t want to try it again without asking.

  • sarah

    I miss kolaches like crazy. In central Louisiana they stick a hot dog in a savory dough and call it a kolache. Shame.

  • Merary

    How do I make this without the mixer? Can I do this by hand?

    • Sure – just mix and knead the dough by hand! It will be a good upper body work out πŸ™‚

  • bellafe

    I tried this recipe and it was really good, but I want my bread a little softer. can I use bread flour instead of the regular flour? thanks for your help.

  • Melissa Warren

    I left Texas and missing Kolaches at every hole-in-the-wall donut shop or hitting up the Shipley’s at the beginning of a road trip is just an every day ache, I live with. My Floridian Husband fell in love with Kolaches while we lived in Texas. I’m super excited to give these a try!

  • Cindy

    Kolache=fruit or cheese. Klobasnek=meat

  • JLynn

    Wonderful recipe! Living in several places throughout South Texas, I can honestly say this recipe is a “dead ringer” for the sausage kolaches that you can easily find in the area. Loving the dough so much, I used the recipe (minus the sausage) to make dinner rolls at our Thanksgiving & Christmas feasts this year. Everybody absolutely LOVED & RAVED about how great they tasted; almost everybody asked for the recipe, which I happily gave &/or sent the link to. So, THANK YOU for a, not just a DELICIOUS, but also a delicious & versatile recipe!

    • JLynn

      Oops! My apologies on the last sentence! I meant to type – “THANK YOU for, not just a DELICIOUS, but also an EASY & VERSATILE recipe!”

  • Beverly

    Can you freeze make the dough balls and then freeze them for later use?

  • Susan Groholski

    When making sausage kolaches, do you cook the smoked sausage first before you roll in the dough, or do I just put the smoked sausage in the dough and close it up and then bake it?

  • Wow!!! These are Great….. Thanks

  • Brenda

    I have never had these but came across this on Facebook so i mixed everything up the dough was sticky so added little more flour until it just started to crawl up the dough hook. I thought it looked just like dough should look like waited couple hours and it never rose refrigerated anyway tried a ball of it and it burned on the bottom and was like a rock what did i do wrong, how is the dough supposed to feel when mixed with enough flour?

  • These are absolutely exquisite!
    Thank you for the recipe it is spot on!
    I’ve probably made these at least 6-7 times and they don’t stay around long πŸ˜‰

  • Thank you so much for this recipe . I’m a native Texan who moved to Washington and they have no idea what a kolache is . Now if you could get a Sonic and Churches Fried Chicken up here I’d be hog heaven .

  • Wendy

    Since leaving Texas we have been unable to find these breakfast kolaches anywhere! Our favorite was the large sausage and jalepeno kolache that we bought at 5AM Donuts in Weatherford, TX. We raved about them to our family and friends and now we can make them…THANKYOU, THANKYOU!!

  • Bob

    Lived in Texas (San Antonio and Dallas) for about 25 years. When visiting my brother in Waco or heading home to Arkansas, West, Texas was a definite stop on the trip. I dont think there’s a single version that I don’t totally love. I now live just outside Columbus, Ohio and luckily two guys who’s parents were Czech opened a place on the Columbus’ German Village and they give even the Texas ones a run for the money. And they’ve cooked up some really interesting choices with a great variety of fillings. Anyway you look at it, though, they are definitely a complete delight! I think I’d weight 500 lbs if I lived near a place to get them everyday.

  • Olivia

    All purpose or bread flour? Thanks!

    • I almost only have AP on hand so that’s what I use.

  • Heidi E. Havens

    Interesting, I live in Kansas. I just found your site by looking up kolache dogs. I’ ve always made pigs in a blanket ( hot dogs or sausages and cheese in biscuit dough) . I’m going to make your recipe later this week! I can already tell my husband will probably renew our vows! Thank you, so much!

  • Megan Butler

    I live in Texas and I LOVE Kolaches! Recently, one of my friends went to Indiana for her one year anniversary. She stopped by a donut shop and asked for a kolache. The lady at the register laughed and said “A WHAT?!?” and my friend whispered “kooolache….” The lady at the register laughed again and said “I’ve never heard of a ‘kolatchey’…” My friend turned around and walked out. Poor thing, when she blushes, she turn red like a tomato. I can only imagine how she felt lol
    Anyways, I’ll be trying this recipe this weekend and might bring a couple to work. My boss loves Kolaches! He has one every morning!

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