Sourdough Berry Cheesecake Kolaches
This recipe features a long-fermented sourdough brioche dough that gives these kolaches incredible flavor and tenderness. Customizable fruit compote means you can use any berry, perfect for seasonal summer baking. The easy cheesecake filling offers a tangy contrast to the sweet fruit. Top the kolache with a buttery streusel that adds texture and a rustic bakery-style look for the ultimate finishing touch.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a dough hook strong recommended but can mix by hand
- Rubber Spatula
- Saucepan or small pot
- Microplane or zester
- Piping bag or ziplock
- 2 Small mixing bowls for compote and streusel
- 1 Medium mixing bowl for cheesecake filling
- hand beaters for cheesecake filling
- 2 Baking sheets
- Plastic wrap to cover buns while proofing
- Parchment paper to avoid buns sticking and burnning
- Kitchen scale optional- helps with precise measurements
Ingredients
Sourdough Berry Cheesecake Kolaches:
Sweet Levain:
- 1 Tablespoon (25g) sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (100g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (100g) water room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (25g) granulated white sugar
Dough:
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (200g) sweet levain
- 1 cup (200g) whole milk
- 1/3 cup + 1Tablespoon (75g) granulated white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (40g) raw honey
- 1 (50g) large egg
- 2 (36g) egg yolks
- 8 Tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1Tablespoon +1 teaspoon (20g) avocado oil
- 4 1/4 cups (550g) bread flour or all-purpose for a softer bun
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (10g) sea salt
Berry Compote:
- 1 cup (150g) berries, frozen or fresh I used blueberries
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated white sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon (20g) lemon juice
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz (225g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Streusel Crumble:
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
Mix the Sweet Levain (Night Before):
- Mix all ingredients until a paste forms.1 Tablespoon (25g) sourdough starter (100% hydration), 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (100g) all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (100g) water, 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (25g) granulated white sugar
- Cover and let ferment at 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 10–12 hours, or until doubled and domed.
Mix Kolache Dough:
- Baker's Schedule: 8:00 AM- Day 1
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine sweet levain, milk, sugar, honey, eggs, and oil. Mix wet ingredients with a whisk until loosely combined.3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (200g) sweet levain, 1 cup (200g) whole milk, 1/3 cup + 1Tablespoon (75g) granulated white sugar, 2 Tablespoons (40g) raw honey, 1 (50g) large egg, 2 (36g) egg yolks, 1Tablespoon +1 teaspoon (20g) avocado oil
- Add flour and salt to the dough. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down bowl if needed. If using your hands, knead until you work dough into a ball.4 1/4 cups (550g) bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon (10g) sea salt
- Once dough has formed a rough ball, add butter in 1 Tablespoon pats.8 Tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- Continue mixing on medium-low (speed 2–3) for 8–10 minutes, until dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky. If mixing by hand knead dough until butter has fully incorporated and dough is smooth and tacky.
- If kneading in a mixer or if dough is very wet when mixing by hand, add an additional 25 grams (3 Tablespoons) of flour and mix into dough.
- Do not add more than 25 grams of flour at this stage, or you will lose the high hydration of the dough and end up with a dense dough. If using a stand mixer, dough can become more warm and sticky and I have found kneading dough with my hand for a minute after mixing really helps bring the dough together.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Spray a clean bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
- If you used a stand mixer, perform one set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes to strengthen your dough. If you mixed dough by hand, perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.
- Let dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size—about 5–6 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere.
- Once dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer ferment or you can skip this step and go straight to shaping your kolaches. I do find it to be easier to shape the dough when it has been refrigerated but it isn't necessary.
Prepare Berry Compote:
- Baker's Schedule: 8:00 AM- Day 2
- In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt.1 cup (150g) berries, frozen or fresh, 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated white sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoon (20g) lemon juice, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to avoid burning on the bottom.
- Cook compote over medium/low heat for 10-12 minutes and it becomes thick and jammy.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside while making your cream cheese filling and the crumble.
Prepare Cream Cheese Filling:
- Allow cream cheese to soften completely at room temperature before mixing filling.
- Transfer cream cheese to a medium sized bowl and add sugar. Beat with hand mixers on high until ingredients are fully incorporated about 2-3 minutes.8 oz (225g) full-fat cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated white sugar
- Add egg yolk and vanilla to bowl and beat again for about 1 minutes until everything is combined. Add in flour and salt lastly and combine with beaters for another minute.1 egg yolk, 1 Tablespoon (15g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Transfer filling to a piping bag or Ziplock bag and set aside for when you're ready to assemble your kolaches.
Prepare Crumble:
- Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute and butter is melted. Add flour and sugar to bowl, and mix with a spoon or fork until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated white sugar, 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
Final Proofing:
- If dough was refrigerated overnight, remove from refrigerator and allow to warm on the counter about 30 minutes for better handling. If you didn't chill dough, skip this step.
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and spray lightly with cooking oil. Set side.
- Grease a clean work surface with a little cooking spray, and transfer dough from bowl to counter. Weight out 9 dough balls (roughly 130 grams), and shape them into taut balls.
- Note: 130 grams makes large kolaches; if you want to make a dozen smaller kolaches weigh out dough to be 100-110 gram balls.
- Transfer dough balls to prepared baking sheets and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow dough balls to proof 2 hours at room temperature.
Assemble Kolaches:
- Prepare an egg wash with 1 egg yolk and 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl. Beat together until smooth and set aside.
- Gather your berry compote, piping bag filled with cream cheese filling, and crumble.
- Grease the back of a small glass or use your fingers to press a deep well in the center of each dough ball.
- Fill the well of each kolache with 2 Tablespoons cream cheese filling, and 1 teaspoon of berry compote. Swirl if you would like.
- Brush the outside ring of the kolache with the egg wash. I like to do this with a paper towel to make sure you don't end up with an eggy rim around the bottom of the kolache.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons approximately of crumble around the ring of the kolache where you brushed the egg wash.
Bake Kolaches:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake kolaches for 18–22 minutes until golden brown and fillings are just set. Internal temp should read around 200°F in bread portion of bun. Avoid cheesecake filling browning or cracking. Tent with foil if needed.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes and center are set. Garnish with fresh fruit if desired.
- Enjoy your fresh homemade Sourdough Berry Cheesecake Kolaches!