Homemade Sausage Kolaches

PanNan's Note:

These are mouthwatering. Make plenty for a weekend breakfast. It's worth the effort! They freeze well, too, and can be heated in the oven at 350 for about 12 - 14 minutes, or in the microwave for a few seconds if thawed (about 1 1/2 minutes if frozen). Very convenient for a grab and go breakfast.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 12 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 2 (¼ ounce) packages dry yeast
• ½ cup water , lukewarm
• ¼ cup unsalted butter , softened
• ¼ cup shortening or ¼ cup lard
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2⁄3; cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups flour
• ¼ cup butter , melted, for topping
• 1 (16 ounce) package cocktail smoked sausage links

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the water.
2. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Mix in the egg yolks, milk, and salt, combining well.
5. Stir in the dissolved yeast and the flour, and mix until the ingredients are thoroughly blended into a soft dough.
6. Cover the dough with a towel, and set the dough aside to rise to about double in size, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7. Grease a baking sheet.
8. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of a golf ball, flatten the balls slightly, and transfer them to the baking sheet.
9. Place the balls at least 1 inch apart, and brush them liberally with the melted butter.
10. Set them aside to double in size again, about 45 minutes to one hour.
11. Gently indent the top of the dough with your thumb, fairly deep.
12. Place the little pinky size smoked sausage link (could be a spicy sausage link, or could add cheese and/or jalapeno with the sausage link, too) in the indent and fold the kolache over the sausage and seal.
13. Bake in 425 oven for 10- 12 minutes or until golden brown.
14. Immediately brush butter on the top.
15. They are best eaten as soon as they are cool enough to handle.

Reviews

[LonghornMama]

I knew these would be fabulous, and have been looking forward to making them for months, but words do not describe! I made as directed and got 16 large kolaches, most plain sausage and a few chopped ham and cheese. I had planned to keep some in the freezer to heat up for quick breakfasts, but they were gobbled up in no time! I'll definitely double the recipe next time. Our neighborhood kolache shop has a number of variations on this theme, one worth mentioning is deli turkey and pepper jack cheese. An easy recipe, rising just takes a little time, but the results are well worth the wait! Thanks, PanNan, for a super recipe! UPDATE: I've made these often, what a wonderful recipe! I use all butter rather than shortening, and have prepared, refrigerated overnight, then let rise a bit and bake in the morning. Seems like I'm always a little short on sausage so suggest buying an extra pack. Definitely double the recipe!! You won't be sorry! Thanks, Nan! UPDATE, Again: I don't even know how many times I've made this recipe, always with good results. My youngest son begs for these kolaches, kolaches are his favorite and while he enjoys Shipley's and Kolache Factory, he says these are better. Just noticed some of the reviews posted. If you haven't tried this recipe, don't be scared off! I often use the breadmaker to prepare the dough. Then form the dough into balls and wrap around the sausage. After placing the kolaches on baking sheets, allow to rise until double. Then bake, being careful not to overbake. When golden brown, these kolaches are soft and tender just like the beautiful pictures. They refrigerate and freeze beautifully. Thanks again, Nan!!

[uyko24]

I made these kolaches this morning and they were not difficult to make but I must admit they were not very good. I'm from texas and I know what sausage kolaches should be like. My main problem was the kolache bread, the bread of this recipe was dense and had the consistency of a biscut kolaches should have a soft, light ,delicate, slightly sweet taste of the bread on the interior and the exterior should have a slight crispy, toasty but buttery outside the sausage and cheese and jalapeno speak for themselves bring their own flavor so I give a one star. at first I thought that yeast didnt activate correctly because my dough didn't rise very much but from the remarks posted on this recipe maybe I wasn't wrong. Well I will try this recipe one more time and If I have the same result back to the drawing board.

[Greffete]

I made these according to the exact recipe and I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed. They were OK but not very good. The dough finished dense and a bit tasteless. Sorry I could not give a better review, I won't be making these again.