Grandma's poppy-seed, curd-cheese and walnut koláčky made from leavened dough – a hearty treat for every day recept

Name: Grandma's poppy-seed, curd-cheese and walnut koláčky made from leavened dough – a hearty treat for every day
Prep time: 135 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 20
Ingredients: 1 kg plain flour; 1 cube of fresh yeast (42 g); 1 small sour cream (approx. 200 ml); 350 g fat (butter or vegetable fat); 3–4 tablespoons sugar; a pinch of salt; 1 packet vanilla sugar (optional); grated zest of 1 lemon (optional); powdered sugar for dusting

Easy to prepare
20 portions
135 minutes

Jan, 17. 12. 2025

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The aroma of yeasted dough, poppy seeds, curd cheese and nuts is exactly what makes a house a home. These little koláčky are simple to prepare, very filling and disappear from the tray at lightning speed. The base is a tender, easy-to-work dough and you choose the filling to taste – poppy-seed, curd-cheese, walnut, or classic povidla (thick plum jam) or apricot jam.

For 20 portions

Ingredients

Dough:

1 kg plain flour
1 cube of fresh yeast (42 g)
1 small sour cream (approx. 200 ml)
350 g fat (butter or vegetable fat)
3–4 tablespoons sugar
a pinch of salt
1 packet vanilla sugar (optional)
grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Fillings – choose to taste:

Poppy-seed filling: 200 g ground poppy seeds, 150 ml milk, 60–80 g sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar

Curd-cheese filling: 250 g full-fat curd cheese (tvaroh), 1 egg, 2–3 tablespoons sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar, lemon zest (optional)

Walnut filling: 200 g ground walnuts, 100–120 ml milk, 60–80 g sugar

Plum (povidla) or apricot: thick plum povidla or apricot jam

To finish:

powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation procedure

Making the dough – mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Add crumbled yeast and softened fat, crumble with your fingers. Stir in the sour cream (optionally also the vanilla sugar and lemon zest) and work into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume (60–75 minutes depending on temperature).
Preparing the fillings – prepare the chosen fillings in advance: • Poppy-seed: briefly cook the poppy seeds in milk with sugar and vanilla, let thicken and cool. • Curd-cheese: mix the curd cheese with the egg, sugar, vanilla and zest. • Walnut: scald the walnuts with hot milk and sugar, mix and let cool.
Shaping the koláčky – roll the risen dough into a sheet about 0.5 cm thick and cut out circles like for doughnuts. Put a teaspoon of the chosen filling into the center, fold the circle in half and press the edges firmly with your fingers.
Second proofing – transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper, lightly dust with flour, cover and let proof for 15–20 minutes.
Baking – bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C until golden (approx. 15–20 minutes).
Finishing – dust the still-warm koláčky with powdered sugar.

Servings: approx. 40–50 koláčky (depending on size)

Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes (25 min preparation • 80–90 min rising • 20–25 min baking)

Tips to ensure the koláčky always turn out well

Fillings should be rather thick – they hold their shape and don’t run out during baking.
Don’t dust the dough with extra flour unnecessarily, so it doesn’t lose its softness.
You can bake the koláčky placed close together (they will be softer) or spaced apart (they will be crispier at the edges).

Conclusion

Yeasted koláčky “like from grandma” are a classic that never disappoints. With one dough you can make several varieties at once and satisfy every sweet tooth. Bake them for the Sunday table, for a celebration or to take on the road – they stay wonderfully soft and smell like home.