Kolachi Recipe, a walnut & raisin nut roll.
This recipe for Eastern European nut rolls comes from Youngstown, Ohio, via Grandmother Amelia Machingo.
Her descendants continue to make kolachi regularly, and I had the opportunity to make them with Amelia’s granddaughter Corinne.
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The nut and raisin filling for these rolls is absolutely divine. Amelia would have used dark raisins for this filling. At the time that Corinne and I made these, I could only find golden raisins at the store (weird, I know), so our nut rolls have a much lighter colored filling than Amelia’s would have.
Enjoy kolachi fresh from the oven, with butter. If wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, they’ll keep for a few days. Kolachi also freezes well.
Watch Theresa make Kolachi!
Kolachi Recipe
Eastern European nut rolls, popular in the rustbelt and Midwest of America. A tender bread dough, with a rich and satisfying nut and raisin filling.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large skillet
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For Sponge:
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 packs instant yeast (14g or 4 1/2 tsp)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 T sugar
For Dough:
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup soft butter 1 1/2 sticks or 12 T, or 170g)
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 6 T sour cream
For Nut Filling:
- 1 1/2 lbs pecans or walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk (have a few extra cups on hand if you need to thin out your filling)
For glazing kolachi
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 T water
Instructions
Make Sponge
- Combine all ingredients for sponge in medium size bowl. Cover, and let sit for 45 minutes.
Make Dough
- Once sponge is ready: use stand mixer with hook attachment, or large bowl and floured hands, to thoroughly combine all ingredients for dough. Then, add sponge to dough.
- Gently knead dough until it becomes large, airy mass. Place dough into lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size.
Make Nut Filling
- Using food processor, grind together nuts and raisins. They should be about as fine as you can get them without turning them into a butter.
- In a large skillet over low heat, combine sugar and milk. Gently stir until sugar is dissolved. Add nut and raisin mixture, and stir to blend. Allow to cool before using as filling.
- Depending on your nuts, it's possible you'll need a little bit more milk to make the filling spreadable enough. Keep a cup of milk handy, and thin out as needed.
Assemble Nut Rolls
- Once dough is ready and nut filling is room temperature, get ready to assemble kolachi. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Cover the balls as you're working so they don't dry out.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to about 1/4" thickness. Spread nut mixture evenly, leaving a small border by edges of dough.
- Gently roll up dough, and tuck ends under. Move kolachi to parchment or silpat lined pan, and let proof on pan for about 10 minutes before baking.
- Using pastry brush, glaze tops of nut rolls with egg yolk and water. Bake in preheated oven for about a half hour, rotating after the first 15 minutes. Kolachi should be golden brown on top and bottom and feel firm to the touch. Allow to cool most of the way before slicing into rolls. Delicious warm with a healthy slathering of butter!
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