Sausage Cheese Kolache

I have to start out by saying Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to Shawnda of Confections of a Foodie Bride for sharing this recipe!  I have long been a fan of Kolaches.  You know those delicious, lightly sweet pastries at the doughnut shop that are filled with sausage and cheese and baked to golden perfection?  You know what I’m talking about!  They are the perfect way to start your mornings; a slightly sweet bread encasing a savory and spicy combination of smoked sausage and cheese.  I love them and have a slight weakness for them.

If I didn’t have a problem before, I definitely have a problem now.  Recently I have had an undeniable, unquenchable craving for these breakfast pastries.  I mean a craving so strong that every Saturday morning for oohhh, the past month or two I have gone to the doughnut shop and purchased some of the Kolaches just hoping to finally satisfy my craving.  While it does satisfy me at that point in time, when the next Saturday rolls around I find myself getting in the car and heading for the doughnut shop.  Yes, folks, I have a problem.  And now I have an even bigger problem because I can now make these delicious pastries all for myself in the comfort of my own home.  Uh oh!  I think a monster is being created in front of your very eyes. 

This Kolache recipe requires a few simple ingredients, a little time and not a lot of work.  Could making a delicious breakfast pastry get any better than that?  I think not!  This particular recipe requires a chilling period, a time in the refrigerator for as little as 4 hours or overnight.  Since the chill time can be as long as overnight this is another one of those breakfast items where the bulk of the work can be done the night before, like these cinnamon rolls, and then finished in the morning when you’re ready to enjoy them.  Simply remove the dough from the refrigerator when you wake up (after you’ve started your coffee, of course), make your dough balls, stuff them and bake them.  How easy is that?  I mean we’re talking about 30 minutes of prep and rest time, then 25 minutes of baking and then you have this hot, heavenly goodness to enjoy for breakfast!  I promise, folks, it doesn’t get better than this!

Another plus.  These can be frozen!  Simply remove from the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat the next morning.  So don’t hesitate to make a big batch of the and refrigerate half and freeze the other half!

I must say THANK YOU again to Shawnda for making my day, week, month, year complete by sharing this recipe!  

Sausage Cheese Kolache

 Ingredients:

For the bread-
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1/4 Cup warm water
1 Cup warm milk
4 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 Large eggs
5/8 Cup sugar
1 Tsp salt
4 1/4 Cups flour

For the filling-
Smoked sausage (I used turkey smoked sausage and cut each piece in half)
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Fresh jalapeno slices, optional

Directions:

Pour warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle yeaster over the top.  Set aside and allow to proof until foamy, for about 5 minutes.

Place butter, milk, eggs, salt, and sugar in a bowl of a mixer, turn mixer on low and mix to thoroughly combine.

Add half the flour and mix to combine, then add the remaining flour and mix until just incorporated.  **The dough will be sticky and wet.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.  Punch dough down, recover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper), lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

Remove dough from the refrigerator and divide into 2.5 ounce balls and set on prepared baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.

Flatten each ball of dough and top with cheese, jalapeno slices and sausage.  Wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the seems to seal.  Place kolache seam side down on baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes. 

While dough is resting, preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Until the bread is golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Store leftovers in sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.  To store in the freezer, individually wrap each kolache in plast wrap, then place in freezer bag to store.

Recipe source: Adapted from The Pastry Queen via Confections of a Foodie Bride