In August 2014, in the early afternoon hours in a monastery courtyard in Prague, my husband and I had just gotten married and were participating in a postceremony reception with family and friends. As per Czech tradition, boxes of small homemade koláče were passed around to guests: small round yeast-dough pastries filled with poppyseed paste, quark (a mild, creamy, German-style cheese), or prune jam.

Halfway across the world in Texas, seven hours behind the Czech Republic, numerous bakeries and larger production facilities were preparing their own versions of kolaches to be consumed by enthusiastic customers. Some pastries were filled with poppyseed and prunes, but others featured pineapple compote, pumpkin pie filling, or dulce de leche.

I’ve always been fascinated with this simple baked good that is beloved in two rather different parts of the world: the Czech Republic and Texas. Koláč, typically written out as kolache [ku-LAH-chee] in the United States, is a staple Czech pastry. In theory, the word itself can refer to numerous types of cakes in the Czech language. Karel Bajer, the owner of Koláčové království bakery in Prague, points out that “what you call Texas kolaches are more commonly known as wedding koláče [in the Czech Republic],” or koláčky: shaped like a circle, small enough to be held in one’s hand, with sweet filling in the center.

As a result, Texans returning to the motherland to try a kolache in the Czech Republic may be in for some surprises. “We use only fine flour (hladká mouka),” says Oscar Novak, owner of Kolacherie in Prague, my husband’s hometown. “It is very similar to the Italian style used for pizza. The fine flour is essential for the type of dough we use—it is basically a brioche dough: fine and fluffy.”

Yeast is another nuance. “In our bakery we use only fresh yeast as it works better and doesn’t need reviving,” Novak says. “A lot of households would use the fresh one, too, since it is easily available in grocery stores.” This generally isn’t the case in Texas, where most home bakers and commercial bakers utilize dry yeast for kolache dough. Fresh yeast, which re- quires refrigeration before use, can often be harder to come by in the American South than in Central Europe. Additionally, Novak observes, “the Texan version [of kolache] is more of a doughnut style of dough as opposed to our brioche style.” Both Texans and contemporary Czechs tend to find Texan kolaches sweeter and denser, while the Czech versions are less sweet and fluffier.

This unassuming but versatile pastry was introduced to Texas by way of immigration. Czech immigration to the state primarily began when Texas was granted statehood in 1845. The initial immigrants were mostly farmers attracted by the prospect of bigger farm holdings in Texas.

Four Must-Visit Kolache Festivals in Texas

“The majority of Czechs that settled in this part of Texas [Fayette County and surroundings] were from the Moravian region. Fayette County was once 80 percent Czech,” says Mark Hermes, the manager of the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange. “Families had to live together and try to provide for each other on a single farm, or chance the trip to Texas and eventually own their own land.” In my Czech husband’s family, some of his ancestors immigrated to the United States for economic reasons, hoping to find better opportunities to earn income and own property.

Like many other immigrant groups in the United States, Czech communities in Texas continued to cook up their beloved culinary traditions, such as the beef dish svíčková—beef sirloin in a creamy sauce served with vegetables. Over the years, though, the kolache in particular became the most well-known Czech Texan foodstuff. Numerous Texans without any personal connections to the Czech Republic seek out kolaches at bakeries or make them at home for celebrations. I have memories from some of my childhood visits to family members living in Texas of visiting kolache bakeries and picking out a fruit-filled delight.

Why, exactly, did this particular doughy treat become such an iconic staple of the Texan food scene?

Dawn Orsak, a culinary historian with expertise in Czech Texan cuisine, shares her perspective: “In my opinion, kolaches have survived 150 years in Texas because they easily adapted to the ingredients available in Texas, they were a source of ethnic pride for Texas Czech women to make, and they were origi- nally a food made for special occasions or gatherings, so cooks deliberately preserved their recipes and techniques for their descendants.” Additionally, the fact that they can be made in large batches makes them much less prohibitive in terms of ingredient costs and time than labor-intensive desserts like medovnik (Czech honey layer cake) or palačinky (thin crepes). My mother- in-law’s Czech Christmas cookies, particularly the beehive-shaped včelí úly filled with rum custard, can take hours to prepare. Those types of baked goods make for lovely family treats but are hard to replicate on a large scale.

Mass production of kolaches starting in the mid-20th century also played a role in sparking Texans’ interests and taste for the pastry, as they became available in supermarkets or through online ordering. “Like any Texans, Texas Czechs were influenced in their cooking by nationwide food trends and fads, by what their children wanted to eat, and by the need for conveniences to help relieve the time pressures of busy lives,” Orsak says. Bakeries throughout the state started to produce kolaches for customers, and at a certain point, so did factories in Texas. Many of the bakeries across the state that specialize in kolaches are concentrated in locations that traditionally had high Czech immigrant populations, such as Austin County, but they can also be found in major cities. My own memories of getting kolaches are all based in Arlington and Dallas. One can even own a kolache franchise in Texas.

Where to Find Kolaches in Texas and the Czech Republic

As these bakeries spread, factories expanded production, and Texans discovered their love for the kolache, homegrown variations started to appear more frequently at home and commercially. According to culinary historian and food blogger Melissa Guerra, “Adaptation is the first thing a recipe undergoes in a new space. Can you find the same ingredients and reproduce the exact flavor you remember? Probably not. In a new land, even the taste of water is different.”

Chef Mary Bass of Good Dough in Galveston, Texas, shares that her most popular self-invented kolache, the Lumberjack, “is an open-faced kolache filled with sage sausage, bacon, and maple syrup.” While these ingredients are not part of contemporary Czech cuisine, they are certainly beloved in Texas. Bryan Anderson, owner of Gerik’s Ole Czech Bakery & Deli in West, Texas, also features some nontraditional kolache flavors with more of a Texan twist at his bakery: Texas pecan pie, Texas praline, turtle cheesecake, and (quite possibly one of the most quintessential Texan fillings ever) Big Red float.

Another Texan twist is the kolache festival. These annual celebrations pay homage to Texan Czechs and their heritage, drawing in visitors from all over the state and beyond. Reminiscent of American state fairs, kolache festivals feature relevant competitions, such as a kolache eating contest as well as a kolache baking competition at the Hallettsville Kolache Fest.

Czech pride is on full display at these festivals, with polka bands, folk dance ensembles, and parades. Jennifer Hagan, executive director of the Hallettsville Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, reports that the estimated attendance in the festival’s inaugural year of 1995 was around 6,000 attendees with an impressive 4,000 kolaches baked for the occasion; it currently attracts up to 10,000 visitors annually. These festivals also play a role in bringing in new converts to kolache deliciousness.

At the end of the day, food and memory are a poignant duo, even in a pastry as deceptively simple as a kolache. Whenever I bite into one, I can’t help but be transported back to the joy and magic of my wedding day, and the happiness that these little baked goods contain for me.

Novak agrees. Regarding his customers who are visiting Prague from the United States, he says: “For a lot of them it is very nostalgic to taste the same thing in Prague after their grandma or mom passed away and it reminds them of their childhood. [Those are] the most touching moments in my store—some of them get very emotional.”

keep reading

Recipes

Raspberry & Cream Cheese Kolaches

Joy Wilson, better known as Joy the Baker, shares a Texas favorite: raspberry jam […]

Recipes

Fig And Ricotta Kolaches

Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, […]

Recipes

Peach-Filled Kolachkes

These peach-filled kolaches are sweet, delicious, and easy to make. Share them with friends […]