Apple Crimble Kolaches

Ingredients

Tangzhong

130g water

32g starch or flour

Dough

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, cold

32g sugar

5g (1-1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

290g bread flour

113g (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, cold

7g (1-1/4 teaspoons) salt

Filling

680g crisp apples (about 3 large), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

50g (1/4 cup packed) light brown sugar

60g (1/4 cup) water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch, combined with 1 tablespoon water, stirred just before use

Crumble Topping

70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

50g (1/4 cup) sugar

30g (1/4 cup) finely-chopped almonds or other nut, coarsely-chopped oats, or a combination

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

42g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon water

Egg wash

1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt

Directions

1. For the tangzhong: Place the water and starch in a microwave-safe bowl and whisk to combine. Cover loosely and microwave in 15 second intervals until thickened and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes, whisking regularly. Uncover and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

2. For the dough: Add the eggs, yolks, sugar, and yeast to the bowl with the tangzhong and whisk until uniform. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together and no dry flour remains, 2 to 5 minutes. Cover loosely and let sit for 20 minutes.

3. Add the butter and salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed until the butter is incorporated and the dough is silky and starts to clear sides of bowl (it will remain webby and sticky), 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Desired Dough Temperature: 75-78°F.

5. Transfer the dough to another bowl if necessary (or proof in mixer bowl if space allows). Cover and let sit at 75°F until about doubled in volume, 90 to 120 minutes. Using lightly-moistened hands, fold the dough at 45 and 90 minutes.

6. For the filling: While the dough proofs, place the apple pieces, sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a 12-inch skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until the apples are tender and the liquid is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the glaze thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowi, cover loosely, and allow to cool to room temperature.

7. For the crimble topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, almonds (and/or oats), and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and water and stir with a spatula until clumps form and no dry flour remains.

8. For the kolaches: (If desired, once the dough has about doubled in volume, it may be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The kolaches will take about 90 to 120 minutes to proof in step 9 if shaped when the dough is cold.)

9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured counter. Flour the top of the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces of about 85g each. Shape each into a tight smooth ball and transfer to the prepared sheet in an evenly-spaced, 3-2-3 pattern. Cover the balls loosely and allow to proof until about doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes.

10. Thirty minutes before doughs are doubled in volume, set an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 325°F.

11. Using the well-floured bottom of a 1/3 cup measure or 2-inch wide drinking glass, form a deep well in the center of each ball of dough. (You should press deep enough to feel the pan beneath the dough. And be sure to re-flour the tool after each use. For smaller kolaches, use the bottom of a 1/4 cup measure.) If necessary, finish forming the depression using floured fingertips. Brush the raised parts of the kolaches with the egg wash. Using a tablespoon measure, divide the apple filling evenly among the kolaches (3 to 4 tablespoons each; 2 to 3 for smaller ones). Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the kolache filling and the top surface of the dough.

12. Bake the kolaches until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes.

13. Allow the kolaches to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

• You may use whatever starch you like in the tangzhong, including bread flour; my tangzhong starch of choice these days is usually glutinous rice flour, because it is known to keep breads softer longer. • Be sure to wet your hands during the folds in step 5 to keep the dough from sticking to them. • This is a deliberately high-hydration dough, so be sure to use sufficient bench flour during dividing and shaping. Refrigerating the dough as described in step 9 will make it far easier to work with once cold.

• Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn apples all work well here. • For a crumble, use nuts in the topping; for a crisp, use oats or a combination of nuts and oats. To chop oats coarsely, pulse them in a spice mill or blender. • You can also make 12 smaller ones by dividing the dough into 60g pieces and laying the balls on the tray in a 4x3 pattern.