Sausage and Cheese Kolaches
From Homesick Texan, with a filling adjustment

Yield: ~18 kolaches
Prep Time: 2 ½ hours
Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (including proofing time)

For the dough:
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk (I used 2%), warm to between 100-115 °F
2 large eggs + 1 egg for egg wash
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp salt

For the filling:
9 bun-sized hot dogs or sausages of your choice, cut in half to make 18 pieces
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
pickled jalapeños (optional)
olive oil

Combine 1 cup of flour with the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Let it stand (covered with plastic or a damp dish towel) until doubled, about 45 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, and melted butter. Add this to the yeast mixture and whisk thoroughly.

Either with a spoon or with a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, stir in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough feels soft and just barely tacky, but not sticky.

Put on the dough hook and knead the dough on medium speed for about 20 minutes or until it passes the windowpane test (tear off a piece and stretch it until it’s thin enough for light to pass through — when it can do this without tearing, it has passed the windowpane test). Add in more flour if needed, a little at a time. You can also turn it out on to a floured surface and knead by hand for about 10-15 minutes until it passes the windowpane test.

The resulting dough should feel soft and pillowy, but it shouldn’t stick to your fingers or the bottom of the bowl.

Collect the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl covered with plastic or a damp dish towel and let it rise at room temperature for an hour, or until doubled in size.

As the dough rises, fry the cut sausages with a bit of olive oil until they have a nice sear on the outside and ends. Drain on a paper towel.

Once the dough is done proofing, punch it down and divide the dough into 18 even pieces, or just pinch off egg-sized pieces one at a time. Each piece should be about 50 grams each.

Roll each piece into a ball, and then gently stretch it out into a small rectangle shape with the short end facing you. In the middle of the rectangle, place a generous heap of cheese. Top this with a slice or two of jalapeño (if using), and then top that with a sausage. Fold the top flap of the dough rectangle down and gently roll the entire thing towards you so that the sausage is encased. Pinch the ends shut a bit if you’d like. Repeat until you’ve formed all of your kolaches and put them all on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.

As you let these rise (covered with plastic) for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°F.

After this rise, make the egg wash by beating one egg together with a splash of milk. Brush the kolaches with egg wash. Bake them for 15-20 minutes, or until they’re nicely browned and your kitchen smells heavenly. Let them cool a bit on a wire rack and serve warm.