Moravské Koláče
Traditional dual-layer Moravian yeast buns filled with a hidden pocket of sweet citrus-scented ricotta cheese, topped with dark Polish plum lekvar, and coated with a crisp butter streusel.
Ingredients
Enriched Yeast Dough
- 500 g All-Purpose flour
- 220 ml Whole milk (lukewarm, ~32°C)
- 25 g Fresh yeast (or 7 g instant dry yeast)
- 80 g Granulated sugar
- 90 g Unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm
- 2 Large egg yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (finely grated)
- 5 g Fine sea salt
Ricotta Curd Filling (Tvaroh Substitute)
- 400 g Whole-milk ricotta (strained through cheesecloth for 1 hour)
- 60 g Confectioner's powdered sugar
- 1 Large egg yolk
- 1 tsp Cornstarch (or vanilla pudding powder)
- 1/2 tsp Fresh lemon zest
Plum & Poppy Seed Layer
- 250 g Polish plum butter (Powidła śliwkowe / slivkový lekvár)
- Optional: 60 g Ground blue poppy seeds scalded with 20 ml hot milk and 15 g powdered sugar
Buttery Crumble (Posýpka) & Finish
- 50 g All-Purpose flour
- 50 g Granulated sugar
- 35 g Cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 Egg whisked with 1 tbsp milk (for egg wash)
- 30 g Melted unsalted butter mixed with 15 ml dark rum (for post-bake brush)
Method
- Prep Fillings & Crumble: Press drained ricotta into a bowl and whisk with powdered sugar, egg yolk, cornstarch, and lemon zest until smooth; refrigerate. For the posýpka, rub flour, sugar, and cold cubed butter between your fingertips into sandy pea-sized clusters; keep chilled.
- Knead Dough: Bloom yeast in lukewarm milk with 1 tbsp of the sugar for 8 minutes until foamy. In a mixer bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, salt, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add yeast mixture and knead on low for 3 minutes. Slowly stream in melted butter, then knead on medium for 8–10 minutes until elastic and pulling clean from the bowl. Cover and proof at 24°C for 60 minutes until doubled.
- Portion & Fill Curd: Punch down dough and divide into 16 equal pieces (~55 g each). Flatten each into a 7 cm disc, spoon 1 tbsp of chilled ricotta filling into the center, pinch the edges tightly shut to seal, and roll lightly into smooth buns. Arrange seam-side down on parchment-lined trays leaving 5 cm between each. Proof covered for 25–30 minutes.
- Indent, Egg Wash & Top: Dust the base of a flat glass in flour and press firmly into the center of each proofed bun to create a deep well with a plump raised border. Brush outer borders thoroughly with egg wash. Spoon 1 generous tbsp of plum lekvar into each cavity, then scatter the buttery posýpka generously over the fruit and rims.
- Bake & Rum Finish: Bake at 180°C (convection) or 195°C (conventional) for 16–18 minutes until borders turn deep golden brown. The instant they leave the oven, brush the hot exposed pastry rims with the melted butter-rum glaze. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Chef's Tip: US whole-milk ricotta holds more free water than Central European dry block tvaroh. Straining it overnight or pressing it in cheesecloth for at least an hour is non-negotiable—otherwise, excess steam blows the sealed buns open during oven spring.