Sweet fruit pastries (Koláče)

Koláče — soft yeast pastries topped with sweet quark and fruit; a traditional Czech bake that makes a dozen.

Ingredients

• plain flour500 g
• yeast30 g
• milk250 ml
• butter80 g
• eggs2 pcs
• quark (curd cheese)250 g
• plum jam150 g
• poppy seeds100 g

Method

1. Activate the yeast. Warm the milk to about 37°C — it should feel just comfortable on your wrist. Crumble the yeast into the milk, stir in a pinch of sugar and a spoonful of flour, then leave for 10 minutes until frothy and active.
2. Make the dough. Tip the flour into a large bowl, add the eggs, softened butter, and the yeast mixture. Bring everything together into a smooth, slightly tacky dough and knead for 8–10 minutes until it feels silky and springs back when poked. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
3. Prepare poppy filling. While the dough proves, grind the poppy seeds finely — a spice grinder or pestle works well. Tip them into a small saucepan with enough milk to cover (around 80–100 ml) and sweeten to taste, then simmer gently for 5–8 minutes, stirring often, until you have a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside to cool.
4. Shape the pastries. Punch the dough back and divide it into 12 equal pieces, each roughly 80 g. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on lined baking trays with a little space between them. Press a deep hollow in the centre of each with your thumb or the back of a spoon, keeping the dough walls fairly thick so the filling stays put.
5. Fill and prove. Spoon the three fillings into the hollows — quark into some, plum jam into others, and cooled poppy paste into the rest. Leave the filled pastries to prove for a further 15 minutes until noticeably puffed. Heat your oven to 190°C fan (210°C conventional).
6. Bake until golden. Bake the koláče for 20–25 minutes until the dough is a deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. The quark filling should be just set and lightly coloured at the edges.
7. Cool and plate. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving — the fillings hold their heat. Arrange on a board or platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Yeast dough temperature. Keep your milk below 40°C when activating the yeast — any hotter and the yeast will die and your dough will not rise.
• Cool poppy filling before use. Spoon the poppy paste into the dough only once it has cooled; a hot filling will begin to cook the surrounding dough and can make the pastries heavy and gummy.