How to Make Texas Kolaches

It may come as a surprise that one of the most Texan dishes out there was brought to the Lone Star State by Czech immigrants. Kolaches can be sweet or savory; you might find these Czech pastries filled with cream cheese or apricot or blueberry fruit filling topped with powdered sugar, or with a poppy seed filling.
In the 1950s, Village Bakery in West, Texas, put an even more American spin on the kolache recipe with the creation of the klobasniky, or a sausage kolache. It looks a little like the breakfast version of a pig-in-a-blanket, but this savory kolache recipe is so much better.

The kolache starts with a basic pastry dough like a donut. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes the process much easier, but you can also mix everything by kneading it in a large bowl. 12 sections are rolled out into a rectangle and topped with shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeño slices, and a cooked sausage link then rolled back up and placed on a baking sheet, seam-side down.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the kolache on the baking sheet. While the oven preheats, let the kolache rest, then bake until golden brown. While they're going to smell amazing, give the pastries a chance to cool before you try them because they are going to be hot, hot, hot! Serve this doughnut with a side of mustard.