CZECH KOLACHE RECIPE: baking perfect Czech koláče the old fashioned way скачать в хорошем качестве

CZECH KOLACHE RECIPE: baking perfect Czech koláče the old fashioned way

Koláčes are as hot as it gets right now. From Texas to London’s East End, this sweet pastry is the cake choice of of the uber-cool. But in the Czech Republic, they've also long been the perfect partner to a cold beer, just one of the reasons we love them. But for the best koláče recipe, you need to go back to the source. Here in the koláče heartland near our brewery we learn the traditional, authentic way to make these incredible pastries. Read the full story at: http://czechstories.com Or let us set the scene a little... "You might assume that koláče were only dreamt up a year or two ago in a trendy bakery somewhere in New York City – like that unholy food-fashion fusion the ‘cronut’. But in reality, these delicious, traditional Czech specialities have been a home-cooked kitchen table staple for many hundreds of years, migrating to the New World in the mid nineteenth-century with eastern European settlers in a move that would begin what has been a slow rise to worldwide fame. Yet despite becoming the latest designer pastry for many top bakeries, few would argue that uncovering the best koláče recipes and learning to cook them the traditional way still requires a trip back to the old country, back to where it all began. Borovany, ten minutes drive from České Budějovice, is a great place to start – a small South Bohemian town famed for the blueberries that grow wild and plentiful here throughout the summer. I arrive to find it looking pretty under a midday July sun. Brightly painted buildings cluster around two central, dominating features: a handsome Augustinian monastery and impressive church. Wandering through a sun-drenched courtyard into the quiet, lawned gardens at the back of them, I’m greeted Edenka Brecková and Eva Tyrnerová, two masters at creating authentic koláče from scratch who are going to show me how its done. Like most Czech koláče makers, neither of these warm, friendly, apron-wearing ladies is a ‘professional’ baker; rather they have long histories of cooking this delicacy for family and friends, both – they tell me – being by far the hardest audiences to please. “I’ve been baking koláče for as long as I can remember,” says Eva as they spread a tablecloth over a wooden table under a willow tree and set up ceramic bowls and ingredients. “It’s just what we do here. You start at a very early age. I learned to make koláče from my mother and my grandmother, both of whom were excellent bakers.” More recently, Eva and Edenka have branched from supplying just their nearest and dearest; they are committed to turning long lineages of expertise into something that helps the wider community. They are members of a Borovany baking circle, fittingly titled ‘The Traditions Club’. This uses the church hall behind where we’re standing as a base to create these outrageously good Czech delicacies, entering them into national koláče competitions and selling them to raise money for local charities. And the secret to creating prize-worthy pastries? “Well,” says Edenka, “It always starts with the quality of the dough. Good leavened dough is essential. You have to get it right."... Read on at http://czechstories.com/another-round/