Expert: Heinz Henze - 12/20/2008

Question
QUESTION: why do my kolache (or as some people call them... nut rolls) split open when I bake them?

ANSWER: Hi Jan,
can you send me the recipe and how you prepare it, it'll help me with answering your question.

Have a great day,

Heinz

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: KOLACHI

Step 1
    Dissolve 2 pkgs dry yeast in small bowl with 1/4 cup warm water and 1 Tbls sugar - cover with dish towel and set aside in warm place to raise.

Step 2
    In large bowl mix together:
        6 cups flour
        1 cup sugar
        1 tsp salt

Step 3
    In small bowl mix together:
         3 whole eggs
         3 egg yolks  (save whites for nut filling)
         1 cup sour cream
         1 tsp vanilla

Step 4
     In saucepan heat:
         3/4 cup milk
         2 sticks butter
     Let Cool

Step 5
      Add egg mixture from step 3, milk and butter from step 4 into the flour mixture....then add the yeast mixture.   Start to mix with spoon, then put a little cooking oil on your hands and work the dough mixture...the dough will be very sticky...add more flour.. work it into the dough...keep adding flour and working it in until the dough no longer sticks to your hands (it will seem like you are adding a lot of flour)
     Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and put in a warm place to raise for 2 hours.  (Dough should look about double in size)  Punch the dough down and cover and let raise for another 2 hours.
      Divide dough into 6 balls...place on floured wax paper and cover with dish towel and let raise 1 more hour

Step 6
   Filling:
         Heat together in large pot
         1  can evaporated milk   (12 oz)
         2 sticks of margarine
         4 cups of sugar
         1 tsp vanilla
         3 lbs of ground up walnuts
       Let cool
       Beat egg whites (left from step 3) with mixer and fold into cooled nut mixture

Roll out balls (like you would a pie crust), one at a time and spread with nut filling.  Roll Kolachi and pinch and fold under the ends.  Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper and place 2 rolls on each sheet
Brush with a mixture of 1 beaten egg and 1 Tbls oil.....make 3 or 4 cuts into the top of each roll and bake @ 325 for about 45 minutes.....

Freezes well


Answer
Hi Jan,
From what I can tell from the recipe and method of prep I think that you should try and let the dough rest a bit longer the second time, start out with about 15 minutes more.  They could be splitting because the yeast in the dough still has too much kick left in it. Then when you bake it the roll expands more and causes the blow out.  Another thing is that you could be under or over mixing the dough and either not developing enough gluten, thus making it so that the dough doesn't have enough elasticity in it. Or over mixing the dough in which case the gluten in the dough is overworked and starts to break down making lose elasticity and not able to stretch when it puffs in the oven.  Either one will cause the roll to blow out.  Hope this helps, happy baking.

Have a great day,

Heinz