Fluffy yeast dough, a generous layer of vanilla cream with rum, and crunchy buttery streusel make up Prague kolaches—perfect with coffee or as a sweet treat. A dusting of powdered sugar on top gives them a simple and tempting finish.
This recipe requires time for rising and cooling, but the preparation itself is straightforward. Shape the dough into 10–12 buns, bake them until golden, and once cooled, fill them generously with cream. Store the finished kolaches in the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for a while before serving.
What You’ll Need
For the starter:
- 200 ml milk,
- 25 g fresh yeast,
- 4 tablespoons sugar.
For the dough:
- 250 g semi-coarse flour,
- 250 g plain flour,
- 2 eggs,
- 70 g melted butter,
- 1/2 teaspoon salt,
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar.
For the vanilla cream:
- 1 l milk,
- 4 vanilla pudding powders,
- 1–2 tablespoons rum,
- 1 soft butter,
- 2 tablespoons sugar.
For the streusel:
- 60 g semi-coarse flour,
- 25 g powdered sugar,
- 25 g soft butter.
To finish:
- egg for brushing,
- powdered sugar for dusting.
The original recipe does not specify the amount of egg for brushing or powdered sugar for dusting, so adjust according to the number of kolaches.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Prepare the starter: Mix 200 ml milk, yeast, and 4 tablespoons sugar to make a starter. Let it rise so the yeast activates and the dough will rise well later.
2. Make the dough: Combine the semi-coarse and plain flour with eggs, melted butter, salt, vanilla sugar, and the prepared starter. Knead everything into a smooth yeast dough.
3. First rise: Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes. Then divide it into 10–12 pieces, depending on how large you want your kolaches.
4. Shape the buns: Form each piece into a smooth bun and place them spaced apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let them rise for another 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C.
5. Prepare the streusel: Rub the semi-coarse flour, powdered sugar, and soft butter together with your fingers to make a crumbly streusel. Brush the risen buns with egg and generously sprinkle with streusel.
6. Baking: Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180°C and bake the kolaches until golden. The original recipe does not specify the exact baking time, so go by the color of the surface.
7. Cook the pudding: Use 1 liter of milk and 4 vanilla pudding powders to cook a thick pudding. Let it cool completely, stirring occasionally as it cools to prevent a skin from forming.
8. Finish the cream: Beat the soft butter and 2 tablespoons sugar into the cooled pudding. Finally, gently fold in 1–2 tablespoons rum to create a smooth cream for filling.
9. Fill the kolaches: Let the baked buns cool completely, then slice them horizontally. Generously fill the bottom halves with vanilla cream and cover with the top halves with streusel.
10. Finish and serve: Dust the filled Prague kolaches with powdered sugar. Store them in the fridge, but take them out a little before serving so they reach room temperature.
How to Prevent a Skin from Forming on Pudding
Stir the cooked pudding regularly as it cools. This keeps the surface moist and ensures a smoother cream when combined with butter. Add the butter, sugar, and rum only after the pudding has cooled, as the original method suggests.
How to Tell When Kolaches Are Properly Baked
The original recipe does not specify the exact baking time, so the golden color of the surface is key. Let the buns cool completely before slicing so they don’t get squashed and the cream doesn’t start to melt from the heat.
How to Store and Serve Prague Kolaches
Since the kolaches are filled with buttery pudding cream, keep them in the fridge. Before serving, let them sit out briefly so they reach room temperature and both the dough and cream soften nicely. You can dust them with powdered sugar just before serving.
