Sourdough Raspberry Kolaches
These sourdough raspberry and cream cheese kolaches are soft, pillowy pastries filled with tangy cream cheese and sweet raspberry jam—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a special treat.
Equipment
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Mixer or large bowl
- Sheet pan with a lid
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Medium size sauce pan
- Cookie scoop, 1 tablespoon
Ingredients
Sweet Stiff Levain
- 15 grams active sourdough start
- 15 grams granulated sugar
- 60 grams all purpose flour
- 30 grams water
Dough
- All the sweet stiff levain about 120 grams
- 225 grams milk warm (whole milk or 2% milk is best)
- 60 grams granulated sugar
- 5 grams salt
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter melted (about 60 grams)
- 1 egg
- 475 grams bread flour
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
- 50 grams sugar 1/4 cup
Raspberry Filling
- 200 grams raspberries
- 50 grams sugar 1/4 cup
- 1-2 teaspoons corn starch to thicken
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk) more as needed to thin to desired consistency
Instructions
- About 10-12 hours before you want to make your kolaches, mix your sweet stiff levain. Remember this is a stiff start, so it's going to have a similar texture to dough. Don't be afraid to dump it onto your counter and knead it for a minute to get everything nice and mixed. Cover and place somewhere warm.
- Combine levain, warm milk, melted butter, sugar, salt, egg and about 400 grams of flour into a stand mixer. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add remaining flour.
- Your dough will be slightly tacky, but should not be sticky. If your dough is too sticky, add an additional 25 grams of flour until it’s easier to manage. Be careful not to add too much flour, or your rolls will be dry.
- Cover and let proof. This usually takes about 4 hours, assuming your dough is 75-78 °F. If your dough is cooler, it will take longer. You’ll know the dough is finished proofing when it feels light and airy and has risen at least 50% – about 4 hours.
- Make your raspberry filling by combining raspberries, sugar and 1 teaspoon of corn starch in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until raspberries break down and a jam forms. If the jam is too thin, create a slurry with corn starch and water, adding a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Transfer filling into a bowl, let cool and then place in the fridge.
- Make your cream cheese filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use your hand mixer) add softened block of cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar. Whip until sugar is incorporated and cream cheese is fluffy. Place in fridge until you’re ready to use.
- Once your dough is finished with its first proof, divide into 6 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then gently flatten into a round disc and place on a greased sheet pan. Cover and let raise until the discs have puffed up and are nearly doubled – usually 3-4 hours.
- Use a glass cup and some plastic wrap to create a “well” in the center of each of your dough discs. Place the plastic wrap on the bottom of your cup, place the cup in the center, and then press down. The plastic wrap keeps the glass from sticking to your dough. Repeat on each of your dough discs.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, place one heaping scoop of cream cheese mixture in the center of each of the “wells.” Then top cream cheese with a couple spoons of your cooled, raspberry filling.
- Bake at 350 °F for 20-25 minutes until kolaches are golden brown.
- Now it’s time to make your glaze. Simply mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of milk until a thin glaze forms. You can add a small splash of vanilla for more flavor if you want, but it’s not necessary. Add milk slowly until you reach your desired glaze consistency.
- Let kolaches cool for at least 30 minutes before adding glaze. Once slightly cooled, drizzle glaze over the top and enjoy warm!
- Store any leftover in the fridge in an air-tight container. These are best fresh from the oven, but will stay good in the fridge for up to three days.
