accidental kolaches

I awoke this morning wondering what I should do with my remaining brioche dough and knew I needed to (a) make more rolls, because Adam when crazy for them; and (b) make something savory because I was craving meat and cheese. I ended up keeping things simple (not the first time), particularly since (a) it was early, (b) I hadn't shopped for produce in a week, and (c) besides, I like simple!


I began with the same pull-apart bread (okay, it's nanterre to be precise) we made yesterday, but instead of placing 8 rolled sections of plain dough in a pan so that they bake into a neat little sectioned loaf, I put chopped ham and shredded cheddar and swiss cheese inside the loaf. What I came up with, low and behold, tasted just like a breakfast kolache. Turns out, kolaches--at least the ones made by German and Polish Texans--are made with brioche!

10 oz brioche dough, chilled (see previous post)
1 c sliced ham, diced
1/2 c cheddar and/or swiss cheese
1 t butter
1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 350^o. Melt butter in a small container, brush the bottom and sides of a loaf pan, and set aside.

To prepare, I took about 10 oz of brioche dough and shaped it into a roll, then portioned the roll into 8 equal pieces. Take each piece, and flatten it into a square with the palms of your hand. Place about 1-2 T of ham and 1 T cheese in the center of each square, and then roll it into a nice little tube, sealing all the edges.


Each roll should be of similar size, shape, and length; and they should fill the pan like a family of sardines. Once in, use a sharp scissor to cut each "log" in half.


Brush the tops with the egg mixture, and pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the top is nice and golden brown.


These were delicious and would be a great side for a brunch, and probably even better to make Monday at the office a more pleasant event. I'd like to get more creative next try, and add some mushrooms, different cheeses, greens, or herbs.

Also, isn't this shape prettier? I'm going to try larger sections next time.