Blueberry Kolache - Borůvkové Koláče

There is nothing like traditional Czech kolache. They are soft, juicy and nicely flavored with sugar coating.

Kitchen Essentials:
Wooden kolache dough press: https://amzn.to/4gRwUgz
Goose feather pastry brush: https://amzn.to/3uD8EZX
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Tips:

If you don’t have fresh blueberries, use frozen. Don’t defrost them.
Kolache freeze very well. Put them into a freezer bag as soon they are completely cooled off and freeze them.
If you have some kolache leftover, you can next day put them into a microwave for few seconds or if you prefer more crispy into the toaster oven.

Makes: 8
Prep: 25 minutes
Rise: 1 hour
Hands on + rise: 15 minutes
Bake at 380°F (190°C): 16 minutes
Total: about 2 hours

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (120ml) milk
1 tsp dry yeast
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups (245g) all purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 stick (56g) room temperature unsalted butter
1 cup (5oz, 140g) blueberries
1/2 Tbsp (7g) melted unsalted butter to brush kolache

Crumble Topping:
1/3 cup (50g) all purpose flour
2 Tbsp (14g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp (28g) room temperature unsalted butter

Sugar Coating:
1/3 cup (40g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp water

Directions:

Into a bowl add 1/2 cup milk and warm it up. It takes about 30 seconds in a microwave.
Into a warm milk add 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp dry yeast. Stir and let it proof for 10 minutes.
Into a mixing bowl add 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour and 1 egg.
After the yeast is done proofing add it to the mixing bowl. Make sure to get all the sugar, that could be left on the bottom.
Mix the content of the bowl in the stand mixer with the hook attachment. Mix for little bit until flour absorbs most of the liquid.
Add 1/2 stick softened unsalted butter and mix for 8 minutes.
Sprinkle little bit of flour on top of the dough and let it rise in warm place for 1 hour.
Wash 1 cup blueberries and pat them dry.
While the dough is rising let’s prepare crumble topping and sugar coating.
Into a medium sized bowl add 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 2 Tbsp powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp softened unsalted butter. Crumble it all together, squeezing the butter with your fingers trying to break any larger pieces of butter and mixing it with flour and sugar. Set it aside.
Into a small bowl add 2 Tbsp water and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Whisk it all together. Set aside.
Prepare baking sheet with baking paper.
Take the dough from the bowl unto prepared pastry board. (If the dough is too sticky sprinkle some flour on the board.)
Cut the dough into 8 equal parts.
From each piece form a nice round ball and set on the prepared baking sheet.
Let them rest for 5 minutes and preheat the oven to 380°F.
Into a small mug add 1/2 Tbsp of unsalted butter and melt in a microwave.
Using a kolache press or a bottom of a glass you will create a well in each kolach.
Dip the press into a flour and press on top of the ball. Press hard to create deep well. Oftentimes I press twice. (The dough will continue rising.) Make sure you don’t have too much flour on the kolache press.
Brush the kolache edges with melted butter.
Add total of 1 cup blueberries spreading evenly into each center of kolach.
Add the crumble topping.
When the oven is preheated put the baking tray into the oven and bake for about 16 minutes or until they have golden brown color.
Take the kolache out of the oven and while still on the tray, add sugar coating on them. Coat them by using a pastry brush and let the sugar coating fall down. Don’t touch the kolache with the brush. You will want to use everything.
Transfer kolache into a cooling rack.
Wait until they cool off little bit. (The blueberry center stays very hot, so don’t burn yourself.)