My Favorite Texas Recipe Is Like Pigs in a Blanket, Only 1,000 Times Better
I’ve already waxed poetic about my deep love for sweet, pillowy kolaches, but my favorite type aren’t actually called kolaches — they’re klobasniky. While klobasniky share the same tender, brioche-like breading as kolaches, they are filled with sausage and cheese rather than jam, cream cheese, and poppy seeds.
And just to get ahead of this: When I say sausage, what I mean is a hot dog. The most common style of klobasnek (the singular form of klobasniky) you’ll find in Texas has a thin, smoked breakfast sausage inside that bears a striking visual and flavor resemblance to half of a hot dog. If that’s making you inch your cursor towards the ‘X’ on this web page, just stop for a second and remember how much you love pigs in a blanket. Now imagine the blanket was even more tender, and that cheese was involved. Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Something I realized when I first made klobasniky at home was that I had never actually eaten one fresh from the oven (and I’ve had a LOT over the years). When you go to a donut shop in Texas and order a few klobasnek, they pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, somehow making the dough even softer. Maybe I’m just nostalgic and homesick, but I actually prefer them this way — and it means they are great to store in the fridge for a grab-and-go breakfast.
Why You’ll Love It
They’re pillowy-soft. The brioche-like dough is perfect wrapped around cheese, smoked sausage, and jalapeños.
They’re the perfect breakfast. They’re an easy grab-and-go breakfast that’s ideal for making ahead (I actually prefer them reheated!).
All About Klobasniky
While many people use kolache as a blanket term for both the sweet and savory varieties, if you ask someone out in East Texas they will tell you that’s not correct — but the two are certainly linked. By the early 1900s, over 15,000 Czech people had immigrated to Texas, bringing koláč (round yeasted dough pastries with sweet fillings) with them. Unlike kolaches, klobasniky are believed to originate in Texas. Specifically, at Village Bakery in West, Texas (which is actually on the East side of the state, outside Waco).
Founded in 1952 by Wendel and Georgia Montgomery, the now-closed bakery is largely considered the first kolache bakery in Texas and the birthplace of the klobasnek. They decided to make a mash-up of classic Czech kolaches and one of the most American-feeling foods around: the hot dog.
Since then, bakeries have created their own interpretations, with fillings like Texas barbecue brisket, sliced ham, crawfish étouffée, and more. In Houston and Southeast Texas, boudin sausage is a common — and phenomenal — filling.
Key Ingredients in Klobasniky
Flour: Use all-purpose flour to create the dough.
Yeast: Active dry yeast gives the fluffy pastries their rise.
Eggs: Yolks are added to the dough for richness. Use the whites for an egg wash.
Sausages: Use smoked breakfast sausages if you can find them. Otherwise, halve bun-length hot dogs. Both will taste great!
Cheese: There is a difference between individually wrapped Kraft singles and deli-sliced American cheese. Deli-sliced American cheese is gooey with a rich cheese flavor that singles just can’t deliver. So head to the deli counter for this recipe!
Jalapeños: Sliced pickled jalapeños actually work better here, so don’t bother cutting up fresh ones.
Poppy seeds: Sprinkling the dough with poppy seeds isn’t the most traditional for klobasniky, but I love the crunch and the nod to another classic kolache filling: sweet poppy seed.
How to Make Klobasniky
Bloom the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, some flour, sugar, and warm milk. Cover and set aside until doubled in size.
Make the dough. Add more flour, salt, melted butter, and egg yolks to the yeast mixture. Knead with the dough hook attachment until the dough forms a soft, smooth ball. Cover and set aside until doubled in size.
Roll the dough. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Working with one at a time, roll each piece into a 4×6-inch rectangle and top with cheese, sausage, and pickled jalapeño slices. Roll the dough over the filling and tuck the short ends underneath. Space evenly in a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and set aside until doubled in bulk.
Bake the kolaches. Brush the kolaches with an egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Top each with a jalapeño slice. Bake until the dough is fully cooked and the tops are golden-brown.
Helpful Swaps
Use cheddar cheese instead of American.
Swap the hot dog for other smoked sausages like kielbasa, a folded slice of deli ham, or even leftover Texas-style brisket. You can even make your own breakfast sausage patties, cook them off, and use them as the filling once they’re cool.
Use tangy-sweet cowboy candy instead of pickled jalapeños.
Leftover egg whites are great to make French meringue cookies or an egg-white omelet.
Before You Make Klobasniky, a Few Tips
If you’re making some with jalapeños and some without, the pepper slice on top will help you tell them apart.
Carefully cover the pan with foil while they cool. The steam will make the bread extra-tender.
To get the smoothest outsides possible, gently roll each piece of dough into a ball before rolling out and filling.
Klobasniky (Sausage Kolaches) Recipe
They’re even better reheated.
Prep time 31 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Makes 12
Serves 6 to 12
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 (1/4-ounce) packets dry active yeast (5 teaspoons)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk, divided
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 large egg yolks (reserve 1 egg white for the egg wash)
12 slices American cheese (not pre-wrapped singles)
36 slices pickled jalapeño, divided (optional)
12 smoked breakfast sausage links, or 6 bun-length hotdogs (halved crosswise)
1 large egg white
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
Whisk 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 2 (1/4-ounce) packets dry active yeast together in a stand mixer. Heat 1 cup of the whole milk until warm to the touch (100°F to 110°F). Stir into the flour mixture until combined. Cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk 1 1/2 sticks melted unsalted butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt together in a small bowl until combined. Whisk in 4 large egg yolks until combined.
When the yeast mixture is ready, add in the egg yolk mixture and remaining 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Knead with the hook attachment on medium speed until the dough is soft, smooth, and forms a ball, 2 to 4 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40 to 60 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch the dough down, then transfer to a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 3 ounces each) and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll or stretch into a rough 4x6-inch rectangle. Fold 1 American cheese slice in half and place on one long side of the dough, positioning it along the edge. Top the cheese with 2 pickled jalapeño slices if using and 1 breakfast sausage or 1/2 hot dog. Starting with the longer side where the fillings are, roll the dough over the fillings toward the other side. Pull and tuck the open ends under toward the seam to make sure the fillings are completely encased in dough.
Place on the baking sheet seam-side down, evenly. spacing them apart in 2 rows (they will not be very far apart).
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon whole milk and 1 large egg white together with a fork in a small bowl until combined.
Brush the egg white mixture onto the kolaches. Place 1 pickled jalapeño slice onto the center of each kolache if using, then sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Bake until the kolaches are golden-brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part not touching the filling registers at least 195°F, about 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and tent loosely with aluminum foil if the kolaches are browning too quickly. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Ingredient/Equipment Variations: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make the dough in a large bowl. Stir the ingredients together with a spatula until combined, then knead by hand on a work surface until a soft, smooth, ball forms, about 10 minutes. You can use a silicone baking sheet in place of parchment paper.
Variation: You can do half with jalapeños and half without. The pepper slice on top will help you tell them apart!
Make ahead: The klobasniky can be prepared up to placing them on the baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or up to overnight. When ready to bake, let the rolls rise at room temperature, still covered, until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Uncover and proceed with the recipe.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, about 30 seconds.
Further Reading
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