Name: Traditional koláče like grandma's – with farmer's cheese, poppy seed and plum butter
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 360 ml milk (lukewarm); 2 teaspoons dried yeast (approx. 7 g) or 20 g fresh; 70 g granulated sugar; 560 g all-purpose flour (+ for dusting); a pinch of salt; zest of 1 organic lemon; 115 g softened butter; 1 egg for brushing; 370 g full-fat soft quark (farmer's cheese); 120 g powdered sugar; 1 egg yolk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 packet vanilla sugar); 40 g raisins (soak beforehand in rum or hot water – optional); 60 g ground poppy seeds; 80 ml milk; 60 g powdered sugar; 40 g raisins (optional); 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon softened butter; thick plum butter or dense fruit jam (so it doesn't run during baking)

Yeast starter Divide the lukewarm milk: into 100 ml stir in the sugar and yeast, let stand for 10 minutes until foam forms on the surface. Set the remaining milk aside.

Dough Sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt and lemon zest. Stir in the risen starter, the remaining milk and the softened butter. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 60 minutes (the volume should double).

Fillings Farmer's cheese: Beat the quark with the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and raisins. Poppy seed: Cook the poppy seeds in milk with sugar (2–3 minutes), stir in the raisins, let cool. Streusel: Rub the flour, sugar and butter between your fingers into a crumbly mixture.

Shaping the pastries Turn out the risen dough, briefly work it and divide into 18 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly flatten. Let rest for 15 minutes, then make an indentation in the center (e.g., with the bottom of a glass). Fill the indentation with filling (farmer's cheese/poppy seed/plum butter). Brush the edges with beaten egg, sprinkle the surface with streusel. Let rise for another 10–15 minutes directly on the baking sheet.