Texas Co-Op Power • November 2017
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Kolache Koláč Kolach THE CROWN JEWEL OF Tex Czech CUISINE Spell it how you want — the pastry pride of Central Texas runs deep By Sharon Jayson t’s easy to find a kolache klatch in Central Texas. The soft Icushions of amber-baked yeast dough that surround a sweet or savory filling have a big following in our local communities. Some areas hold festivals paying homage to the popular pastry, including Caldwell, the self-proclaimed “Kolache Capital of Texas.” This year, Caldwell — as it has for 33 years — closed streets after 2 p.m,” she said. LEFT: At the 33rd annual Kolache Festival in to host its Kolache Festival, with live (left), and cousin, Gerald Morton (right). Trish Morton is Morton, a Bluebonnet Electric Caldwell, Trish Morton (center), the owner of a Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative member. music in the air and visitors forming Cooperative member, enlisted her Gamma’s Kitchen in Rockdale, sold most of long lines to taste the bakers’ best. Rockdale siblings, Sheila Davidson and the 315 dozen kolaches she brought. She got ABOVE: Sisters Veronica and Esmeralda Rosales show- “By 1:45 p.m., we were pretty much Kennard Morton, to help in her booth. some help from her sister, Sheila Davidson case a tray of kolaches at Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli. done because we had sold out,” said Kolaches are not just a must-eat at Trish Morton, owner of Gamma’s festivals. They pop up at local bakeries traditional Czech delicacy once was reserved a rare Old World treat to an everyday pastry with a Kitchen in Rockdale. She started the day throughout Bluebonnet’s service area, for special occasions, such as weddings decidedly Texas twist. with a sizable inventory — 315 dozen many prepared by area residents of and harvest celebrations. Since Czechs Kolache culture can be complicated, starting with kolaches. That’s 3,780 kolaches at just Czech heritage. emigrated in the mid-to-late 1800s to an the spelling. Various versions of the proper spelling one booth. “It’s an early-morning thing. Kolaches’ roots in Texas can be area of Central Texas often referred to as the include the singular koláč (pronounced ko-LAH-ch), People are not going to buy kolaches traced to Central Europe, where the “Czech Belt,” kolaches transitioned from Continued on page 20B 18 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE November 2017 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2017.indd 16 10/9/17 4:52 PM Kolache Koláč Kolach THE CROWN JEWEL OF Czech Once reserved for special occasions, kolaches — these from Chappell Hill Bakery and Deli in Chappell Hill — CUISINE are now sweet treats for any time. Get some local bakers’ tips and hints, Page 20A. LEFT: At the 33rd annual Kolache Festival in (left), and cousin, Gerald Morton (right). Trish Morton is Caldwell, Trish Morton (center), the owner of a Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative member. Gamma’s Kitchen in Rockdale, sold most of the 315 dozen kolaches she brought. She got ABOVE: Sisters Veronica and Esmeralda Rosales show- some help from her sister, Sheila Davidson case a tray of kolaches at Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli. traditional Czech delicacy once was reserved a rare Old World treat to an everyday pastry with a for special occasions, such as weddings decidedly Texas twist. Among the many events at Caldwell’s annual Kolache Festival are the eating and harvest celebrations. Since Czechs Kolache culture can be complicated, starting with contests. Here, Sarah Boniol, 9, competes in the girls’ competition. She won, emigrated in the mid-to-late 1800s to an the spelling. Various versions of the proper spelling the first to finish eating three full-size kolaches. area of Central Texas often referred to as the include the singular koláč (pronounced ko-LAH-ch), “Czech Belt,” kolaches transitioned from Continued on page 20B Sarah Beal photos bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop November 2017 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 19 BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2017.indd 17 10/9/17 4:52 PM The sweet center of Texas’ Czech Belt zech bakeries leave a crumb trail between Dallas, Austin and Houston. Many of the Cbakeries are roadside attractions, with gas, gifts and goodies for high- way travelers and for the locals who need a kolache fix. The Czech Stop in West (15 miles north of Waco on I-35) may be the state’s most well- known kolache shop, but a sampling of some of the best kolache kitchens in Central Texas shows there’s plenty of pastries to go around. Hruska’s Store & Bakery — Sharon Jayson 109 TX 71 in Ellinger A song with the lyric “we’re eating kolaches,” greeted visi- tors at Hruska’s Store & Bakery on a recent sunny Saturday as “accordion cowboy” Chris Rybak performed inside. Since 1995, Teresa James has oper- ated the business started by her maternal grandparents in 1912. “I’ve been baking since age 11,” she said. Over the years, James expand- ed Hruska’s both in physical size and offerings. It now includes a service station and restaurant and sells a variety of gifts. “I come to work at 1 a.m. I start prepping at 2. Then I have a crew come in at 3. We try to have something ready by 5 o’clock in the morning,” James said. “I come to work every day when I’m here and I’m hands on. I make sure it’s done right.” Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli 8900 U.S. 290 E. in Chappell Hill John Kopycinski’s family has been in the area between Brenham and Hempstead since the Nonnie’s Bakery 1870s. The roots of his Chappell Hill Bakery 1601 TX 21 in Caldwell & Deli date to 1963, but the shop didn’t make Nonnie’s Bakery is an unassuming spot kolaches until the 1990s. Using a blend of reci- at a truck stop along TX 21 in Caldwell, pes from both his grandmothers, Kopycinski sharing space in a building next to focuses on the sweet and traditional fillings, in- Rockin' G Oil Company and Papa G’s cluding apple, cream cheese, pineapple, peach, Old Fashioned Burgers. The three busi- cherry, apricot and sometimes blackberry or nesses opened two years ago as a family poppy seed. venture. “What we’ve found is temperature, humid- Kristin Lazo, who oversees Nonnie’s, ity and techniques all play into it,” Kopycinski said the kolache recipe came from her said. “Everybody is going to have a little differ- grandmother. ent spin on it.” “We’re not Czech, but we’re from the “Our kolache business is Friday to Sunday Snook area (of Burleson County) and have and holiday business. We probably sell up to a lot of Czech friends,” she said. “My dad 1,000 kolaches on weekends,” he said. is Papa G and my mom is Nonnie.” 20 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE November 2017 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2017.indd 18 10/9/17 4:52 PM The sweet center of Texas’ Czech Belt Tips and hints from some area kolache chefs PHILIP WEIKEL of Weikel’s Bakery in La Grange, a second opening soon in Brenham: “What makes ours unique is all in the dough. It’s how moist and soft it is and how it holds its texture. Some kolaches are drier, but ours are always tender and soft.... It’s what goes into the procedure of making them that makes us unique.... The recipe we use got handed down from my great-grandmother to my mother. … We have stayed true to those old authentic techniques. We still use rolling pins and we do everything by hand.” Kaulton Green, 2, gives careful consideration to his kolache choice from the wide assortment at Weikel’s Bakery in La Grange. Kaulton is from Lake Jackson. TRISH MORTON of Gamma’s Kitchen in Rockdale: Weikel’s Bakery “I got into it because I married into a 2247 TX 71 in La Grange Czech family, so I got my husband’s great- grandmother’s recipe. That’s where I got Six years ago, the original Weikel’s Bakery in La the trick. I never knew you put sour cream Grange was replaced with a larger building that offers in bread dough. I think the reason mine food, gas and gifts. Co-owner Philip Weikel is now are better is because they are very moist…. expanding operations in other spots in Central Texas, Some kolaches are all bread and no filling. If including one slated to open soon in Brenham. Other I’m eating it, I want some filling. I use more locations should open within three years. than a teaspoon of filling for mine. Another Weikel’s Czech roots come from his great-grand- thing I do is after I bake and cool them, I mother. wrap them in Saran Wrap and that locks “My great-grandmother came over from Czechoslo- in the moisture. I leave them wrapped up. vakia and brought the kolache recipe over,” he said. They freeze well and keep fine for up to six months.” Her all-time favorite kolache flavor “My mom took that recipe and molded it for what we is blueberry cream cheese. do here today. It’s not the ingredients. It’s the process that makes it so special.” JOHN KOPYCINSKI of Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli in Chappell Hill: “I make the dough myself. It’s not simple. Making kolaches is an art that you have Nonnie’s Bakery to experiment with. It’s a lot of trial and 1601 TX 21 in Caldwell error. It takes patience.