Jalapeño Sausage and Cheese Kolaches (Klobasnek)
Soft, slightly sweet Texas kolache dough wrapped around sausage, melted cheese and pickled jalapeños. These homemade jalapeño sausage and cheese kolaches are a Texan breakfast staple!
Servings: 12
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
Note: Pat dry jalapeno slices before assembling.
