Blueberry Kolaches with Freshly Milled Flour

Kolaches are a traditional Czech pastry that has become popular in the US, particularly Texas. It really is no wonder once you taste the insanely soft, ooey gooey buns! These Blueberry Kolaches are a must try recipe and one that you would never believe are made with freshly milled flour!

The Dough

What gives these Blueberry Kolaches the ultra tender dough is the use of a tangzhong. Such a simple technique that makes a huge difference in the texture and longevity of the pastry.

Why Use Tangzhong?

Tangzhong works by gelatinizing the starches in the flour, which allows the dough to absorb more liquid without becoming sticky. This extra hydration is the key to rolls that are not only soft and airy but also stay fresh longer. It’s a technique that can be applied to almost any yeasted bread, but it truly shines in pastries, where tenderness and pull apart texture are everything

Milling Your Own Flour for Maximum Freshness

For this recipe, you’ll start by milling 535g of hard white wheat berries on the finest setting. Freshly milled flour brings a nutty, wholesome flavor and a nutritional boost that you just can’t get from store-bought flour. Milling all your flour at once saves time and ensures consistency throughout the recipe.

Making the Tangzhong

Weigh out 50g of your freshly milled flour for the Tangzhong. In a medium saucepan, whisk this flour with 250g of whole milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a gel like consistency. This step is crucial, when the mixture reaches about 65°C (150°F), the starches in the flour gelatinize, trapping water and creating the signature softness of Tangzhong bread

Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in cold milk to quickly cool the mixture. The goal is to bring the temperature down so it’s warm but not hot, ensuring you don’t scramble the egg in the next step. If it’s still too warm, a brief chill in the refrigerator will do the trick. Whisk in your egg, making sure it’s fully incorporated.

You can also use the microwave to make the tangzhong if you would like. Whisk the flour and milk together in a microwave safe bowl and cook, stirring every 30 seconds until it thickens.

Mixing the Dough for Blueberry Kolaches

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the remaining 485g of flour, sugar, amylase, and vital wheat gluten. Pour in your Tangzhong and liquid mixture, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Allow this to rest for 15–30 minutes, this rest period, gives the freshly milled flour time to fully hydrate, which will make kneading easier and improve gluten development.

Next, add the yeast, salt, and softened butter. Knead the dough for 10–20 minutes, or until it passes the windowpane test. This is a sign that your gluten is well developed and the dough will rise beautifully. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour, until almost doubled. Then, refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. This cold fermentation not only makes the dough easier to handle but also enhances the flavor and texture.

Shaping and Rising

About an hour before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into 80 gram pieces and shape each into a ball. Check out this video on shaping if you need help. Arrange the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about three inches between each. Flatten each ball into a disk about and inch thick.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.

While the dough is rising, make the Blueberry Kolache filling

Blueberry Filling and Streusel Topping

In a small saucepan, combine:

• 3 cups blueberries, fresh or froze
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Toss to coat the blueberries and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until some blueberries burst and the liquid thickens slightly. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is risen.

For the streusel topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and softened butter. Massage with your fingertips or smash together with a fork until well combined. Set aside.

Fill and Bake the Blueberry Kolaches

Using your fingers, indent and flatten the middle of each dough ball. Leave about and inch on all sides creating a well. Brush the edges that were untouched with an egg wash.

Spoon about a quarter cup of filling into each well. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the kolaches

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. or until golden. Let cool for about five minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack. Drizzle with glaze and enjoy your beautiful Blueberry Kolaches.

Blueberry Kolaches with Freshly MIlled Flour

Recipe by Katelyn from Grain to TableCourse: DinnerCuisine: American, CzechDifficulty: intermediate

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

RisingTime

3

hours 

Total time

3

hours 

45

minutes

Kolaches are a tradition Czech pastry that has become popular in the US, particularly Texas. It really is no wonder once you taste the insanely soft, ooey gooey buns! These are a must try recipe and one of those recipes that you would never believe are made with freshly milled flour!

Ingredients

• Tangzhong

• 50g hard white wheat

• 250g whole milk

• Dough

• 157g whole milk, cold

• 1 egg

• 485g hard white wheat

• 60g sugar

• 4g amylase (optional)

• 5g vital wheat gluten (optional)

• 10g yeast

• 11g salt

• 56g softened butter (4 Tbsp)

• Blueberry Filling

• 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

• 1/4 cup raw cane sugar (white is fine)

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 60 g freshly milled flour (any grain will do)

• 2 Tbsp softened butter

• Glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp water (adjust for desired consistency)

Directions

• Dough
• Mill 535g hard white wheat on the finest setting. This is the combined weight for the tangzhong and the dough. I mill it all at once to save time.
• To make the tangzhong, combine 50g of the milled flour and 250g whole milk in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and makes a gel like consistency.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold milk. This will cool the mixture down, it should be warm but not hot enough that it will cook the egg when we add it. If the mixture still feels too hot, refrigerate it until just warm. Wisk in the egg.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer. Combine the remaining 485g of flour, sugar, amylase and vital wheat gluten. Pour in the tangzhong and liquid ingredient mixture and mix until combined and a shaggy dough forms. Rest for 15-30 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquids.
• Add the yeast, salt and softened butter. Knead for 10-20 minutes or until you can form a window pane. Cover and rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until almost doubled. Refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
• About an hour before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide the dough into 12 pieces about 90 grams each. Shape each piece into a ball and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet about three inches apart. Flatten each into a disc about an inch thick.
• Cover and rise until doubled, 45 minutes to an hour.
• Filling and Streusel Topping
• While the dough rises, Combine all the blueberry filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the blueberries burst and the liquid thickens. Refrigerate while the dough finishes rising. You can also make this ahead.
• For the streusel topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and softened butter. Massage with your fingertips or smash together with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
• Fill and Bake
• Using your fingers, indent and flatten the middle of each dough ball. Leave about and inch on all sides creating a well. Brush the edges that were untouched with an egg wash.
• Spoon about a quarter cup of filling into each well. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the kolaches
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. or until golden. Let cool for about five minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack. Drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Tangzhong. this is a bread-making technique where a portion of the flour and liquid from a recipe is cooked into a thick, gelatinous paste (or “roux”) that’s then added to the dough, resulting in softer, more tender bread with a longer shelf life
• If you are in a pinch and want an easier morning, feel free to use canned or store bought pie filling.

**Nutrition Facts are an estimate and should not be used to make medical decisions.