Houston Ham And Cheese Kolaches Recipes

KOLACHES

Steps:

• Mix yeast and flour together in a large mixing bowl
• Add remaining sponge ingredients and whisk until combined
• Cover and refrigerate overnight
• Remove the sponge from refrigerator and gently stir, adding the salt
• Add flour until it forms a dough
• NOTE: you may not need all 3 cups of flour, depending on the humidity where you live
• Once the dough forms a ball, let it rest for 20 minutes
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes
• Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough inside, making sure to coat the dough with oil
• Cover and let rest for about an hour or until doubled in size
• Cook breakfast sausage and crumble into bite-sized pieces
• Chop or tear ham into small pieces
• Shred cheddar cheese
• When dough is ready, gently punch down by using a closed fist to slowly push the extra air out
• Divide the dough into 32 pieces
• Flatten the pieces into circles about 3 inches in diameter
• Add a bit of the filling (either ham and cheese or sausage and cheese) to the dough
• Fold the sides up to close and pinch together to seal
• Place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet or baking stone
• Continue until all dough has been used
• Preheat the oven to 375F while the kolaches rest
• Brush kolaches with melted butter
• Bake for about 12-15 minutes until they start to turn golden
• Don't let them get brown or the dough will start to dry out

TEXAS KOLACHES

Steps:

• Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat to melt. Do not allow to brown. As soon as the butter has melted, add the milk and stir until blended. Set aside.
• Add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
• Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and add the milk/butter mixture, as well as the egg and the egg yolk. Mix on low for about 1 minute, then, increase the speed to medium (#6 on Kitchenaid stand mixer) and knead for 8 minutes.
• In the meantime, add about 3 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, grease a large bowl. You'll also need to arrange your oven racks so that you can fit the saucepan on the floor of the oven with a rack situated above it. Your large bowl will go on top of the rack. The bowl does not need to be oven-safe.
• Once the dough has finished kneading (it will soft and somewhat sticky), use floured hands to form it into a ball and transfer it the greased bowl. Place the saucepan of boiling water on the oven floor and the bowl on the rack above it. Close the oven door and allow the dough to proof for 1 - 1 1/2 hour, until it has doubled in size.
• Remove the bowl from the oven (leave the saucepan in) and punch down the dough. On a floured work surface, divide it into 4 equal pieces, and then divide each of those pieces into quarters. You should have 16 pieces of dough.
• Roll the dough into balls and transfer to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 2 to 3 inches apart. Close the oven door and allow to proof for 90 minutes.
• Remove both pans and the saucepan from the oven and preheat it to 350°F.
• Wrap each dough ball around a piece of sausage until it is fully enclosed and pinch to seal any seams.
• Place a piece of cheese in the center of a slice of ham and fold over/wrap the ham to enclose the cheese.
• Wrap each dough ball around the ham until it is fully enclosed and pinch to seal any seams.
• Place seam-side down on the baking sheet and bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden in color. Allow to cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!

HOUSTON HAM AND CHEESE KOLACHES

Steps:

• SPONGE: Mix together yeast and 2 cups of flour. Add the rest of the sponge ingredients. Mix with spoon until thoroughly combined and then put in your refrigerator overnight. (this time is not in the cook time).
• The next morning, stir the sponge lightly and add the salt. Begin adding flour until it forms into a dough ball. If there is little humidity, this could be as little as one cup. If you are here in Houston, I usually end up putting in a couple and then kneading another half cup.
• Once you have a doughball, Let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Knead for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, adding flour as needed. The dough should be very easy to knead, fairly loose.
• Place kneaded dough into a bowl, lightly oiled and turn dough so that it is covered with oil. Let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Meanwhile, mix together ham and cheese.
• Punch down dough.
• Divide into 32 small balls (divide in half, then divide in half again, and again, etc.). Take each ball and flatten with your hand to a 3" circle. Place one tablespoon ham and cheese mixture into the center of each circle and close into a ball, twisting the opening closed. Make sure the opening is well sealed, or the kolaches will burst open in the oven.
• Place filled balls seam side down onto greased cookie sheets (I use 2). Cover and let rise again for half an hour. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush kolaches with melted butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden colored. You don't want these to get brown, or they will be too dry. Just golden, like biscuits or dinner rolls.
• Baked kolaches can be frozen, thawed, and reheated in the microwave.

HAM AND CHEESE KOLACHE

Steps:

• Ham and Cheese Filling: In a bowl, combine 1 cup diced ham, 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard.
• Stir to blend well.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For Egg Glaze: In a small bowl, combine 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon water.
• Beat lightly to blend.
• For kolaches:In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, cheese, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt.
• Heat water and butter until very warm (120º to 130ºF).
• Gradually add to flour mixture.
• Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 16 equal pieces; shape each into a ball.
• Cover; let rest 15 minutes.
• Place balls on greased baking sheets 2 inches apart.
• Make a deep and wide indentation on each ball by pushing outward toward edge, leaving 1/2-inch ridge around outside.
• Fill with Ham and Cheese filling.
• Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Brush surface of dough with Egg Glaze.
• Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes or until done.
• Remove from sheets; serve warm.
• Refrigerate leftovers.
• BAKING TIP:When you use two baking sheets or pans in the same oven, be sure to stagger them.
• Heat rises and stacking one pan directly above another causes the bottom pan to bake faster than the top.
• Bakers should also rotate the sheets (top to bottom and bottom to top) and turn the sheets 180 degrees (back to front) halfway through baking.

HAM AND CHEESE KOLACHE POCKETS

Steps:

• Prepare 1 batch of Sylvia's Kolache Dough (#238688) per directions through step 9. (Note that I use my countertop mixer with the dough hook rather than mixing by hand and usually need about 6 1/2 cups of flour vs. the 6 that Sylvia calls for).
• Divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
• Roll into round balls and then one at a time:.
• Roll out each dough ball into an oval about 8" x 6".
• Layer 3 slices of deli ham and 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar in the middle of the oval.
• Bring the long ends up and together on top of the cheese (make sure to wrap it up!). Pinch the dough together to seal.
• Bring the short ends up and together on top of the 1st layer of dough. Pinch the dough together to seal.
• With your hands, roll each dough pocket around to smooth the seams and shape into a 4"x3" pocket (about 1 1/2 inches thick).
• Arrange on a greased baking tray.
• Brush the tops with melted butter.
• Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees until done.
• Eat hot (very!) or allow to cool completely and store in the fridge. (Note: Let the pockets cool before putting them in bags - otherwise the moisture will condense in the plastic bag and make the dough a bit soggy).