Kolaches and Other Special Meals at Sea

Kolaches are one of my all time favorites to make in the galley for the guys. They are also a great breakfast pastry. You might remember thes little gems, they looked like bread dough tits with fruity nipples popped up on the top if you baked 'em too long.
I remember "Hey Stew, what are these? They remind me of this girl from back home..."

They're pronounced *koh LAHTCH ees,* and they originated in Central Europe. They came to the US with Czechoslovakian immigrants, who moved through the port of Galveston, TX at the end of the 19th century and settled farmland near Houston. In fact, there were enough Czechoslovakian immigrants for Caldwell, Texas, to be dubbed the *Kolache capital.*"

The base of a kolache is a slightly sweet, soft dough, not unlike our dinner roll dough. In the old country, this dough would be pressed flattish and the center would be filled with such Old-World fillings as prune, cheese (as in cream cheese Danish) and poppy seed, or savory fillings such as sausage and potato. Most of the time boat cooks would use fruit pie fillings.

Submarine Sailors are notorious for giving the cooks a hard time. But if anyone tells you they rode submarines and didn't eat like a king, check his ass for surface ship tattoos and run like hell… Anyone that full of shit is likely to explode.

Make some boat coffee (I'll see if I can't dig up a recipe) to dunk these in.
Have a great day catch you on the mid.
Subchef

Kolaches Do2700
Yield 100
Portion 1 Roll
Calories 240 cal
Carbohydrates 39 g
Protein 5 g
Fat 7 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 177 mg
Calcium 21 mg

Ingredient
YEAST,ACTIVE,DRY 5-1/8 oz
WATER,WARM 3-1/2 cup
SUGAR,GRANULATED 2 tbsp
SUGAR,GRANULATED 2-3/4 cup
SALT 2-1/3 tbsp
SHORTENING 3 cup
EGGS,WHOLE,FROZEN 1-7/8 cup
WATER 1 qts
FLOUR,WHEAT,BREAD 7-1/4 lbs
MILK,NONFAT,DRY 1-1/8 cup
CHERRY FILLING (PIE FILLING, PREPARED) 2-3/4 kg

Method
1. Sprinkle yeast over water. DO NOT USE TEMPERATURES ABOVE 110 F. Mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes; stir again. Set aside for use in Step 3.
2. Mix sugar, salt, and shortening in mixer bowl at medium speed 1 minute.
3. Blend in eggs, water, and yeast solution at low speed.
4. Sift flour and milk together, add to egg mixture. Mix at low speed 7 to 10 minutes or until dough is formed.
5. FERMENT: Set in warm place (80 F.) for about 1 hour.
6. PUNCH: Let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball; let rest 10 minutes.
7. MAKE UP: Form into a rope 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Shape into 2-ounce balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased pans. Flatten out slightly with palm of hand.
8. PROOF: About 30 minutes or until pieces are double in bulk.
9. Press down center of each piece with back of spoon. Leave a rim about 1/4-inch wide.
10. Fill center of each Kolache with about 1 ounce (2 tbsp) of Cherry Filling, Recipe No. D 041 01.
11. Brush rim with Egg Wash, Recipe No. D 017 00.
12. PROOF: 20 minutes at 350 F. or until double in bulk.
13. BAKE: At 350 F. for 25 minutes or until done. For convection oven, bake 15 minutes at 300 F.
14. If desired, cool; sprinkle with 1 lb (3 1/2 cups) sifted powder sugar or brush out edges with 1 recipe Vanilla Glaze (Recipe No. D 046 00) per 100 servings.

Notes
In Step 10, 7 lb (1-No. 10 cn) prepared pie filling, apple, blueberry, cherry or peach, or bakery filling, raspberry, may be used, per 100