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These Texas Sausage Kolaches are a hearty breakfast pastry made with a fluffy, sweet breading around a cheese filled sausage. Skip the donut shop and make your own at home!
All about these sausage kolaches…
Texas Kolaches are a hearty breakfast pastry found at most donut shops around the great state of Texas. They are made with a light, fluffy yeast dough that surrounds a sausage. Typically cheese and jalapeno are included.
These pastries came to Texas by way of Czech immigrants. And while most Texans will call one of these a KOLACHE (Kol-ah-chee), Czech Texans will be quick to point out that this name refers to the sweet pastry, filled with fruit jellies. While the sausage variety is technically called a Klobasnek. The donut shops still list these as Kolaches, and if you order a Sausage Kolache, this is exactly what you will get
Ingredients Needed:
Notes on some ingredients:
- Sausage: classic options would include a polish sausage. Many local donut shops simply use beef hot dogs.
- Cheese: sliced or shredded cheese will work, use what you have on hand.
- Jalapeños: for this particular recipe, pickled jalapeños work better. If you have fresh on hand and would prefer to use that I would recommend sautéing them first before adding to the recipe.
How to make (step-by-step):
- Step 1: Bloom the yeast. This recipe uses active dry yeast, to reactivate it and to test and make sure that your yeast is nice and active, mix it with some warm water and a bit of sugar. Let this sit for about 5 minutes and you should see bubbles forming on the top. If nothing happens, then it’s possible your yeast is no longer active and you will need to replace it and start over.
- Step 2: Combine wet ingredients. The eggs, melted butter, milk, remaining sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture.
- Step 3: Add in the flour needed for the dough.
- Step 4: Mix in a stand mixer, or by hand if needed, until dough comes together. It will be sticky.
- Step 5: Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a clean counter and gently knead until the dough is no longer sticky and forms into a ball. This should only take an additional 2 tbsp of flour as noted in the recipe.
- Step 6: Lightly grease a bowl and place the dough ball inside. Give the dough a spin to coat in the oil. Cover and let rest for for 1 hour until doubled in size. During the last 20-15 minutes of rise time, cook the sausages to have them ready to prep the kolaches.
- Step 7: Remove the cover from the dough bowl, punch down the dough and then place dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- Step 8: Press the dough out into a rectangular shape approximately 7×5 inches. Then divide into 12 equal portions.
- Step 9: Working with one portion of dough at a time, press the dough out into a square (3 inches by 3 inches) then top with cheese, slices of jalapeño, and a cooked sausage. Roll this up and pinch together the dough where it meets. Set this on a baking sheet, seam side down. Top with slices of jalapeño if desired.
- Step 10 & 11: Continue working with all the dough, until all kolaches are filled and rolled. Then place on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart, they will spread while they bake, and you will most likely have to cut them apart. Brush the tops with an egg wash before baking. This gives a nice golden coloring. Then after baking brush with a melted butter and honey mixture to give added sweetness and flavoring to the dough.
Expert Tips:
- Jalapeños: When making this for the family, it’s possible some may prefer to skip the jalapeño, simply leave them out of the inside of the kolache, and mark the ones you are making with jalapeño with a few slices on top before baking.
- Make Ahead: prepare these the night before, cut the second rise (after they are prepped and on the baking sheet) to only 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap nice and tight and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the fridge and let sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats and bake as instructed.
- Switch out the Filling: my family loves these with ham and cheese as a filling or you could use scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon. Another popular option in Texas is a Boudin Kolache, cook up the boudin (sausage mixed with rice) and use as a filling!
Kolache: FAQS
Are kolaches a Texas thing?
Traditional Kolaches are a Czech thing. Czech immigration to Texas began in the 1850s. Once here, they settled in Central Texas. Overtime their sweet kolache dough began being used with polish sausage, then cheese and jalapeño were added. This is now a classic Texan recipe thanks to the blending of different food cultures. These meat filled “kolaches” are now featured in most all local donut shops throughout the state.
Is a kolache the same as a “pig in a blanket?”
Pigs in a blanket are typically made using a crescent dough. Kolaches are made using a sweet, yeast dough for making fruit pastries. Making kolaches just a bit sweeter than your average pig in a blanket. In other words, don’t offend your favorite Texan by referring to these as a ”pig in a blanket”.
What are sausage kolaches called?
While most Texans will simply call them kolaches, the actual name is Klobasneks.
Other Breakfast Recipes:
Texas Sausage Kolaches (Klobasnek)
Easy to follow recipe for Homemade Texas Sausage Kolaches! Sausage, cheese and jalapeño all rolled up inside of a sweet, yeast Kolache dough. Brushed with a bit of honey butter after baking, these kolaches will be better than the ones at the local donut shops!
Ingredients
- ½ cup water (118 g) warmed to 110 degrees F
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup milk (123 g)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour (545 g) plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
- 12 sausages (full hot dog size)
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
Honey Butter
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Stir to combine. Let this sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast, it will be bubbly and foamy.
- Stir together the eggs, melted butter, milk, remaining sugar, and salt.
- Add this mixture to the yeast mixture in the bowl. Pour in half of the flour.
- Using a dough hook, mix until combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mix. Dough will be sticky. Continue to knead for another 2-3 minutes, dough will still be sticky.
- Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour on a clean working surface. Using your hands or a silicone spatula scrape all of the dough onto the floured surface.
- Using your hands, knead the dough 2-3 times until dough forms into a smooth ball thanks to the small amount of extra flour on your work-surface.
- Pour the teaspoon of oil into a large bowl and spread around to coat the bottom half of the bowl, then place the dough in the bowl, spin and turn over so the top of the dough is lightly greased.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- After 40 minutes, while dough is still rising, add the sausages to a large skillet and cook until warmed through, turning while they cook to ensure all sides are lightly seared.
- Remove the cover from the bowl, punch the dough down, then remove the dough to a work surface lightly sprinkled with the remaining tablespoon of flour.
- Press the dough into a rectangular shape, approximately 7 inches by 5 inches.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal square shapes.
- Prepare a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, press the dough into a larger square shape, approximately 3 inches by 3 inches. Place a half slice of cheese on one side, then lay the sliced jalapeño on top, then the sausage.
- Roll the dough and pinch together where it meets.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down.
- Press some sliced jalapeno on the top of the dough if desired.
- Continue until all the kolaches are prepared. Place the kolaches on the baking sheet with approximately 1/2 to 1 inch of space in between, they rise while they bake, but it’s ok if they run into each other.
- Cover and let rise for an additional 45 minutes.
- While rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the cover from the kolaches, prepare the egg wash by beating the egg with the water. Then brush this over the top of the dough.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes until the tops are golden. Turn the baking sheet during the middle of baking if needed for even browning.
- Remove from the oven, combine the melted butter and honey, and brush this on top of the kolaches while they are still hot.
- Let cool for several minutes, then serve warm.
Video
Notes
This recipe has been changed and updated from the initial posting in 2020. The dough recipe has been updated to increase the hydration and sweetness. Plus the addition of the honey butter wash at the end has been added. If you are a fan of the original recipe you can find that here: Original Kolache Recipe.
- Sausage: classic options would include a polish sausage. Many local donut shops simply use beef hot dogs.
- Cheese: sliced or shredded cheese will work, use what you have on hand.
- Jalapeños: for this particular recipe, pickled jalapeños work better. If you have fresh on hand and would prefer to use that I would recommend sautéing them first before adding to the recipe.
- Make Ahead: prepare these the night before, cut the second rise (after they are prepped and on the baking sheet) to only 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap nice and tight and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, remove from the fridge and let sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats and bake as instructed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 431IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
- Recipe first published April 3, 2020. Recipe has been changed and updated as of July 1, 2022. Original recipe can be found here. Images and video updated to reflect changes.
- Photography by the talented @KJandCompany.co
Hi! Question. Can you refrigerate these after the second rise and bake them the next morning?
I love this recipe! I also used the Johnsonville sausages and the next time I used Chappell Hill and cut into pieces. The dough has a wonderful flavor but I feel like I’m doing something wrong – they are coming out really dry. Is it the sausage or cooking time maybe?
It could be the cooking time, are they becoming hard? Try reducing the cooking time briefly next time. Or it could be that there is just a bit too much flour which can happen with different methods of measuring. Try reducing the amount of flour in the next batch.
I have these in the oven right now. I used bratwursts and I sprinkled everything seasoning on top. The dough was easy to make and easy to handle. If it didn’t rise for you, maybe yeast was old or it wasn’t warm enough where you let dough rise. Can’t wait to eat them.
Can you make these the night before and refrigerate and bake in the morning?
Yes!
Thank you for posting this recipe, my family is thrilled we can make it at home and don’t have to get at Dunkin Donuts for $2.50 a piece! I’m a reluctant baker, so made it even simpler by rolling out canned pizza dough instead of making from scratch Hubby says the egg wash is what makes it even better than DD’s version
Is the dough slightly sweet at all? I miss kolaches (Klobasnek) so much and tried another recipe that had zero sweetness to the dough.
Hi Melissa! The dough has a bit of sweet thanks to the sugar. What I have found some shops do here in North Texas is brush some honey on the tops of the kolaches. So if the dough isn’t sweet enough, you can always brush just a bit of honey on top of the baked, warm kolaches.
Thank you, looking forward to making these!
OMG! Totally forgot to rate this recipe. Perfection!
Excellent recipe! I love how they turned out. Side note, it took longer than an hour for my dough to proof. I can see an hour if you have a proofing setting on your stove (which I eventually utilized). Thank you for sharing. I’ve missed these pillowy delights since moving from Texas to South Carolina.
Never made any type of bread before, but these … these were tasty & even weren’t difficult to make.
I just made this. I followed the directions meticulously. The dough did not rise at all. I live in an area where I can’t get kolaches & I was really looking forward to this. If anyone has any idea what could have gone wrong, let me know please.
Try it with canned pizza dough, worked great for me!
Not to be rude, but that is 100% user error. This is a very run-of-the-mill bread recipe. It almost definitely happened because your yeast did not activate properly, assuming you used all of the correct portions listed in the recipe. Make sure the milk is warm, but not hot, and that you add the sugar with the yeast to your milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, should look foamy on top. Use the packets of fast activated yeast from the baking isle of your local grocery store. It can help to put your oven on the lowest setting for 5 minutes, then turn it off, leave it open for 30 seconds, pop your dough in there and it should proof pretty quickly. Be sure that you turn the oven back off before putting in the dough though.
Also, on second thought, I am trying to be rude: Don’t go around giving people 1 stars because you can’t cook. What an idiot.
Hey keyboard warrior. You don’t know anything about me or my cooking abilities. I love guys that are all tough from behind their keyboards. For your info. I tried this recipe twice with 2 different packages of yeast. I got the yeast to foam both times. So, it sounds like you’re the one that doesn’t know what you’re talking about. Mr. Ryan no last name tough guy.