Name: Homemade Moravian kolaches (from kefir dough)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 350 g plain flour; ½ cube of fresh yeast; 100 ml milk (lukewarm); 50 g sugar; 50 g butter (melted); 70 g kefir/acidophilus milk or soured milk; a pinch of salt; For brushing - 1 egg; Walnut - ground walnuts, sugar, boiling milk; Poppy seed - ground poppy seeds, sugar, boiling milk; Curd - quark, sugar, 1 egg (optional)

Starter Prepare a starter from the yeast, a little lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Let it rise (approx. 10–15 minutes).

Mixing the dough Put the flour and salt into a bowl. Pour in the risen starter, lukewarm milk, kefir milk, melted butter and sugar. Mix into a soft, smooth dough (by hand 8–10 minutes / machine 6–8 minutes). Do not add an egg to the dough. Cover and let rise 45–60 minutes.

Fillings Walnut/poppy seed: mix the nuts or poppy seeds with sugar and pour just-boiled milk over them to a thick spreadable consistency. Curd: mix the quark with sugar, optionally with an egg. (Quark can also be used without an egg – if the consistency is correct it will not run out.)

Shaping the kolaches From the risen dough tear off larger pieces, shape into balls and flatten each into a disk. Use the bottom of a glass to make a depression in the center. Brush the edges with beaten egg.

Filling and short final proof Put the chosen filling into the depression. Let rest on the baking sheet for another 10–15 minutes to rise.

Baking Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for approximately 10–15 minutes until golden (depending on your oven). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.