u003cstrongu003eCan I switch up some of the ingredients?u003c/strongu003e

Absolutely, this dough is flexible and forgiving. Use bread flour instead of all-purpose if you want your kolaches to have a little more chew. If you’re short on starter, use sourdough discard but be sure to add a tablespoon of instant yeast to make it more like a classic yeasted pastry. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you're not into savory, swap the cheeseburger filling for a sweet filling like your favorite jam, cream cheese, or fruit. You can even knead in 1 tablespoon lemon juice for a little zing in sweet versions.

Homemade Sourdough Kolaches (Easy Starter or Discard Recipe)

Sourdough Kolaches are soft, stuffed rolls you can whip up with a sourdough starter or discard. They’re easy, kid-friendly, and perfect for busy days.

Table of Contents

Kolaches are a Czech pastry that has been Americanized and are super popular in the South. While I don’t live in the South, I live within an hour of a Kolache Factory. Back when I was working as a nurse, one of the pharmaceutical sales reps who came to my department always brought us kolaches, and I was hooked!

They’re so delicious and super easy to make at home. Plus, you can get creative with your fillings an make them savory or sweet. One of my favorite versions is cheeseburger kolaches. It’s basically like stuffing the burger and cheese inside of the bun, then baking it.

I make these on really busy days at the farm when my husband might not make it in for dinner. I just wrap up a few kolaches and send them out to him in the field. They’re super easy for him to eat on the go, and they’re just fun so the kids love them too!

If you don’t have time to long ferment the dough, just add in a tablespoon of instant yeast, and they’ll be ready in an hour or two.

sourdough kolaches with cheeseburger filling

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A lovingly made sourdough version of a favorite Czech pastry: This version swaps out store-bought yeast for a slow-fermented starter, adding a rich, tangy depth that we all love
Perfect pastry dough for sweet or savory fillings: The enriched sourdough dough gives you a soft, pillowy base that goes great with traditional fillings like cheese or plum filling, and savory ones like sausage or cheeseburger.
A slow ferment that adds depth, not just flavor: An overnight ferment brings out a complexity and texture that quick yeasted kolache dough can’t match.

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS:

Dough ingredients:

1/4 cup warm milk (60 g)
1/4 cup warm water (50 g)
2/3 cup sourdough starter (160g)
1 tablespoon yeast if making as a discard recipe (7 g)
1 egg (50 g, assuming a large egg)
2 tablespoons sugar (25 g)
1/4 cup softened butter (57 g)
1 teaspoon salt (6 g)
2 1/4 cups flour (270 g, assuming all-purpose flour)

Cheeseburger filling:

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 lb bacon
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Egg wash:

1 egg
1 teaspoon water

ingredients for making sourdough kolaches

TOOLS:

Large bowls
Stand mixer (optional)
Skillet
Oven
Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Spoon
Damp towel

Step-By-Step Instructions

Make the dough.

Add all dough ingredients into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer

Knead the dough thoroughly for 5-10 minutes until it is smooth and workable, but still a bit sticky.

Shape the dough into a large ball, place in a greased bowl

Cover with a damp towel, and set in a warm place to bulk proof for 4-12 hours until doubled in size.

Make the filling

Cook the ground beef and onion in a skillet, drain and add to a large bowl.

Dice the bacon into ½-inch pieces, fry, then drain and add to the bowl with ground beef and onion.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Place the cheeseburger filling mixture in the fridge to cool for half hour before assembling kolaches. You don’t want to add the mixture to hot filling.

Assemble the Kolaches

divided dough for making sourdough kolaches

Divide the dough into 12 pieces (56 grams each) and use a rolling pin to roll each one out into a 4 inches circle

Use a spoon to scoop 1/3 cup cheeseburger filling onto each circle then gather the edges of the dough around the filling and pinch to seal. Place each kolache seal side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the kolaches rise for 2-3 hours.

Brush kolaches with an egg wash & then bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 350°F

Kolaches should be golden brown on top and bottom. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

FAQs

Do I need to use unsalted butter, or is salted fine?

You can use either, but unsalted butter gives you more control over the salt in the dough. If salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just cut back a little on the added 1 teaspoon of salt in the dry ingredients. Either way, use softened, not melted butter, so it blends evenly into the dough.

What’s the difference between sourdough kolache and Czech kolache?

Traditional kolaches use a yeasted pastry dough made with whole milk, sour cream, and sometimes a tablespoon of lemon juice for a bit of tang. They’re typically filled with sweet options like fruit preserves, sweetened poppy seeds, or your favorite jam.

This homemade kolache uses natural yeast from sourdough starter or discard instead of commercial yeast. Sourdough adds a bit more chew and deeper flavor to the dough, and it rises more slowly, which works really well for long ferments.

Both styles might bring back fond memories of this delicious treat, especially if you grew up near donut shops in Texas and the Midwest where kolaches were a staple.

Can I switch up some of the ingredients?

Absolutely, this dough is flexible and forgiving. Use bread flour instead of all-purpose if you want your kolaches to have a little more chew. If you’re short on starter, use sourdough discard but be sure to add a tablespoon of instant yeast to make it more like a classic yeasted pastry.

If you’re not into savory, swap the cheeseburger filling for a sweet filling like your favorite jam, cream cheese, or fruit. You can even knead in 1 tablespoon lemon juice for a little zing in sweet versions.

Sourdough Kolache Recipe Tips

You can skip the long ferment if you’re short on time: Add 1 tablespoon of instant yeast and your dough will be ready in 1 to 2 hours.
You can turn this into a discard recipe: Just add 1 tablespoon of instant yeast and reduce the rise times. Let the dough double in size each time before moving on.
Kolache dough works for other recipes too: Use it to make 12 dinner rolls (56g each), 9 burger buns (75g each), a small loaf of bread, or even cinnamon rolls.
Expect sticky dough at first: Knead it well (a stand mixer helps), let it rest for 30 minutes, then knead again and add more flour one tablespoon at a time if it’s still too sticky.
Don’t leave meat-filled kolaches out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

sourdough kolaches in half showing its cheeseburger filling

Storage

Store leftover sourdough kolaches in an airtight container after they’ve cooled completely. Keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week, especially if they have meat or dairy fillings. For freezing, wrap each cooled kolache in plastic wrap, then store it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat thoroughly before eating.

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