Bake Eska's much-loved kolache

A bakery and kitchen full of life

Visit Eska in Karlín. Everry day, we bake our renowned bread 33, along with sweet buns, cakes and kolache. On Fridays, our bread 66 is available until it sells out – and if you're not in the mood for baked goods, come for a lunch of local produce, or one of our famous breakfasts, which are prepared until late afternoon. Oh, and don't forget to take a look round our shop on the way out.

Find out more on our website.

For 9 pieces you need:

• 300 g smooth wheat flour + to fill the bowl
• 25 g semolina sugar
• 100 g sourdough starter (i.e. leaven = yeast)
• 125 ml milk
• 100 g butter
• 50 g egg yolks (2 or 3 eggs, depending on size)
• 25 g of lard and a couple of tablespoons of clarified butter to spread on the cakes
• your favourite filling (poppy seed, custard, pudding or nut filling) or fruit
• for the Moravian kolache, curd filling and thick custards

For the crumble:

• 375 g butter
• 375 g sugar
• 575 g plain flour

Mohlo by
vás zajímat

Mohlo by vás zajímat

Authentic Czech kolache: Fluffy dough and three kinds of filling

Preparation of the basic dough:

1. In a bowl (or in a food processor), mix all the ingredients for the dough and work them into a smooth, elastic mass. Place the prepared dough in a bowl lightly dusted with flour, cover and leave to rest in a cool place for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Transfer the rested dough to a surface, section the dough into balls (loaves) and roll them into balls. Each should weigh about 80 g.
3. Prepare the crumble with the butter, sugar and plain.

Czech yeast kolache:

1. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, shape the cakes so that the edges are about ½ cm wide around the centre.
2. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush with clarified butter and add filling to taste or fruit.
3. Finally, sprinkle the crumble over the cakes and refrigerate. There they will rest for 10 to 12 hours.
4. An hour or two before baking, bring the kolache to the kitchen and leave them at room temperature.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size.
6. Brush the edges of the baked kolache with clarified butter to make them nice and shiny.

Moravian kolache:

1. Gently flatten the ball of dough and fill with a spoonful of curd filling. Carefully close and shape like buns.
2. Place the rounded buns, seam side down, on a baking tray lined with baking paper, make indentations in them and fill them with jam. Then sprinkle them with the crumble.
3. Proceed as for the Czech version.