Soft, slightly sweet dough wrapped around sausage, melted cheese and pickled jalapeños. These jalapeño sausage and cheese kolaches are a Texas breakfast favorite.
Technically, these savory pastries are klobasnek (klobasniky), or "pigs", but the name sausage kolache has really stuck as they grow in popularity.
I wanted to add this variation to My Texas Kitchen, so I could show y'all step-by-step photos of how to fill and shape them at home.
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Ingredient Notes
- Kolache Dough: This recipe uses my Texas Kolache Dough, which originates from the Hallettsville, Texas, area. For a visual guide to making the dough, see my Texas Kolache Dough post.
- Sausage: I typically use fully cooked Eckrich or Kiolbassa breakfast sausage links. As long as the sausage is fully cooked, you do not need to cook it before filling the kolaches.
- Cheese: Sliced American or cheddar cheese is the standard here. You'll use ½ slice per kolache.
- Jalapeños: You can use 1 to 3 slices inside each kolache, depending on your heat preference. You'll also want to put a jalapeño slice on top for looks and to help you easily identify which ones have the peppers.
How to Make Jalapeño Sausage and Cheese Kolaches (Klobasniky)
This is a visual guide to making jalapeño sausage and cheese kolaches. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
After the first rise, gently punch down the dough and pat out into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Cut dough into twelve 3x3-inch squares. A pizza cutter works well to cut the dough if you don't have a pastry cutter.
You can gently stretch and shape the dough into squares when working with each one as you fill it.
Pat the sausage and jalapeno slices dry. Layer ½ slice cheese, 1 to 3 pickled jalapeno slices, and a sausage link in the center of each square of dough.
Bring the sides of the dough up around the sausage and pinch together in the center to form a seam. Gently stretch top and bottom dough around sausage and pinch to merge and seal completely with center seam.
Place the filled kolaches seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet, about ½-inch apart or almost touching. Placing them close together helps with the rise and gives them that traditional Texas bakery look.
Top each kolache with a single jalapeño ring and brush generously with melted butter.
Cover loosely and let rise for about 30 minutes, or until the dough looks puffy.
Bake in a preheated oven 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the sausage is heated through. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with additional melted butter. Let the kolaches cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serving, Storage and Reheating
Serve freshly baked klobasnek warm. They make a delicious breakfast that's easy to eat on the go. Perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or orange juice.
Storage: Once the sausage kolaches have fully cooled, transfer them to the fridge for storage. I like to individually wrap them.
Freezing: For freshness, I like to freeze mine. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in freezer-safe Ziploc bag. For the best quality, consume within 3 months. I like to make a triple batch of assorted kolaches to stock my freezer.
Reheat: From frozen, microwave at 70% power for 30-second intervals until heated through. From the fridge, start with 20-30 seconds in the microwave, adding time as needed until the sausage is hot.
More Kolache Recipes
- Original Texas Sausage Kolaches
- Cream Cheese Kolaches
- Fruit and Cream Cheese Kolaches
- Common FAQ on Making Homemade Kolaches
📖 Recipe
Jalapeño Sausage and Cheese Kolaches (Klobasnek)
Ingredients
Proof Yeast
- ¼ cup warm water (100°F-110°F / 38-43°C)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast ( 1 standard packet)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Dough
- ½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- ¼ cup shortening or unsalted butter , melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 ⅓ cups (420 g) bread flour, sifted
- 2 tablespoons butter melted (for brushing)
Filling & Topping
- 12 fully cooked breakfast sausage links Eckrich breakfast links work great
- 6 slices Cheddar or American cheese , halved
- 24-36 pickled jalapeno rings, patted dry
Instructions
Make the Dough - By Hand
- Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and active.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, milk, melted shortening or butter, salt, and egg yolk. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the sifted bread flour 1 cup at a time until 3 cups are incorporated, stirring until a sticky dough starts to form.
- Knead. Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ cup bread flour onto a hard work surface. Turn the dough out and knead for 10-12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The finished dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Continue with the first rise below.
Make the Dough - Stand Mixer
- Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and active.
- Mix: In the mixer bowl, combine the activated yeast mixture, sugar, milk, salt, egg yolk, and 3 cups of the bread flour. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the lukewarm melted butter or shortening, mixing until incorporated.
- Add Remaining Flour: Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the remaining ⅓ cup bread flour. Knead on low speed for 6-8 minutes (KitchenAid 2) until the dough looks smooth, elastic, and starts to pull off the sides of bowl. Scrape down the bowl and hook partway through making sure no dry pockets are left unmixed at the bottom. The finished dough should be soft and slightly tacky. Continue with the first rise below.
First Rise, Filling, and Baking
- First Rise. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until puffy and almost doubled in size.
- Roll: Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a 9x12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry or pizza cutter, cut dough evenly into twelve 3x3-inch squares.
- Assemble: Place ½ slice of cheese, 1 to 3 pickled jalapeno slices, and 1 sausage link in the center of each piece of dough. You can flatten dough a little more if needed. Bring sides around sausage and pinch in the center to form a seam. Ensure slightly more dough remains on top than the bottom. Pull and stretch top and bottom dough around sausage and pinch to merge with center seam.
- Second Rise: Place filled kolaches seam-side down on a lightly greased baking sheet ½ inch apart or slightly touching. Top each with 1 jalapeno ring. Brush liberally with melted butter. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes or until dough looks slightly puffy.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and sausage is heated through. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with additional melted butter. Let klobasnek cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before serving.
Notes
I hope wherever you are, these jalapeño sausage kolaches bring you a taste of home. Let me know what you fill yours with. Happy Baking!
Alaine
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