Cottage Cheese Kolaches
 
 
Makes 6 kolaches
Ingredients
Dough:
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1⅛ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ egg yolk
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
  • ¼ cup cottage cheese
  • 1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ egg yolk
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb topping:
  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
Finish:
  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the dough:
  1. In a large bowl, heat milk and water until warm - about 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Add the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the butter and remaining 1½ teaspoons sugar and stir until smooth. Add the egg yolk and salt and stir to combine.
  3. Add the butter mixture and 1½ cups flour to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Continue adding flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together to form a shaggy ball; it should be tacky but not sticky. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it’s smooth and elastic - this will take about 5 minutes (or less if using a stand mixer). Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling and crumb topping.
Make the filling:
  1. In a food processor or blender, purée all the filling ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the crumb topping:
  1. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Transfer to the freezer.
Shape and bake the buns:
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. After the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 6 equal pieces. Gently shape each piece into a ball and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover buns with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  4. Brush tops of buns with melted butter. Using the back of a tablespoon, create an indentation in the center of each bun. Distribute the filling among the indentations.
  5. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping over the filling.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at https://www.twoofakindcooks.com/cottage-cheese-kolaches/