Kolaches

For the Dough: 1 cup milk 1 - ¼ ounce package active dry yeast ¼ cup lukewarm water (110°F to 115°F) ¼ cup unsalted water 1 large egg 1 teaspoons salt 4 ¼ cups all purpose flour

For the Peach Filling: 2 cups pitted, chopped peaches 1 cup good quality peach jam

For the Streusel Topping: ½ cup all purpose flour ½ cup sugar 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

To make the Dough: Warm the milk in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Heat just until it starts to steam and a skin is formed – do not simmer or boil. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly (to about 110°F – 115°F). Dissolve the yeast in the water. Let it sit until it is foamy. Melt the butter in the microwave. Let it cool for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, salt and melted butter. Add the cooled milk and the yeast mixture. Add in the flour, 2 cups at a time, making sure not to overwork the dough. Keep adding flour until it is fully incorporated. The dough should be sticky, moist and light. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a draft-free place and allow to rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough, recover, and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12×17 inch baking sheet. With lightly oiled fingers, shape dough into balls – about 2 ½ inches in diameter. Arrange the balls on the baking sheet – 3 across and 6 down. Mix together the peaches and peach jam. Use your thumb to make and indentation in each ball. Fill each indentation with the peach mixture. Cover the tray with a clean tea towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, to make the topping, use your hands, a food processor or a pastry cutter to mix the topping ingredients until crumbly. Scatter the topping over the kolaches right before they go into the oven. Bake the kolaches 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool the kolaches for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES: For Sausage & Cheese Kolaches: 1 1/4 lb Smoked Sausage (highly recommend using a Jalapeno sausage) 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Follow directions for dough. Press dough into 5 inch circles. In center of rounds, add 1 tablespoon shredded cheese and medium-sized smoked sausage. Enclose sausage and cheese, pigs-in-a-blanket style. Place seam-side down on baking sheets. Allow to rise in a warm place ~1 hour. Bake as directed above.