The Delicious History of the Kolache

How a traditional Czech pastry became an iconic Texan treat

- NAOMI KAYE HONOVA

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.”