How Sweet and Savoury Czech Kolaches Made It Big in Texas

Share

Discover the story and flavours of Czech kolaches, the meltingly soft, buttery yeast rolls filled with sweet and savory fillings that are a Texas obsession.

Kolaches – meltingly soft, buttery yeast rolls filled with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings – are a Texan obsession. Brought to the Lone Star State by an influx of Czech immigrants in the 19th century, kolaches can be found anywhere anyone may have a hankering: office break rooms, highway pit stops and suburban drive-throughs.

Where to Try Them

Many of the best kolaches can be found at bakeries that double as gas stations along the major arteries between Texan cities. South of Dallas, the small town of West (where some three-quarters of the population is of Czech descent) is home to bakeries like Czech Stop, Gerik’s and Oak Street. Elsewhere, Weikel’s (La Grange), Hruska’s (Ellinger), Prasek’s (El Campo/Sealy), and Vincek’s (East Bernard) are worth a stop.

Flavourmania

Traditional sweet flavours include prune, poppy seed, cottage cheese, apricot and strawberry. But Texans have gone wild with fillings for savoury kolaches, often called klobasniky. You can now get flavours like pepperoni pizza, smoked brisket, jalapeño popper and Philly cheesesteak.

A table covered with kolaches and klobasniky

New School Kolaches

Bakeries in Texas’ biggest cities are getting even more creative with kolaches. Pondicheri in Houston serves butter chicken kolaches; Austin’s Batch offers specials like carrot cake and collaborations with local chefs; and Pearl Snap Kolaches in Fort Worth stuffs kolache- dough buns with a cheeseburger filling.