Angelina Aragon Photography

Topped with fruit or stuffed with meat, kolache perfectly blends Eastern European pastry traditions with the flavors of Lone Star. Kolache Café 4302 E. Ray Rd., Phoenix 480-706-7007, thekolachecafe.com Unless you live in Texas or have Eastern European descent, you may not be familiar with kolache, a pillow with fruit or fillings Pastries and meat. When Czech immigrants settled in rural Texas in the late 1880s, they rode kolaches with them. The Texas variety is saltier than sweet, but Ahwatukee’s Kolache Café does both ($1.98-2.98, pictured). Owner Joe Leal sneaked this dish into the valley when he moved here from Houston. He said that the hand-held food is the perfect meal. "It's affordable and you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere. It's a good choice for breakfast and lunch." The fluffy dough—a mixture of sweet Hawaiian bread and Pike homemade rolls—provides apples, apricots, and plenty of other fruit fillings. It is a perfect cradle and provides a sponge conveyor system for smoked sausage; meatless potatoes, cheese and eggs; and other delicacies. Most popular? Smoked sausage and cheese, with or without jalapenos. "People buy as soon as they hit." The Local Donut 3213 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale 480-500-5236, thelocaldonutshop.com Logic tells you that the donut shop will specialize in sweet coke, but the Scottsdale’s The Local Donut only produces salty varieties. It offers four types, including sausage with jalapeno and pepper jack cheese, each wrapped in a soft dough, similar to a slightly sweet dinner roll ($2.29 to $3.29). "We had to increase the production of kolache because customers are discovering them," said owner Daniel Sam. In fact, Sam recently hired a dedicated kolache baker who has been experimenting with salty and sweet kolaches, including cherries and blueberries. Past flavors include Monte Cristo with poached eggs, turkey and cheese and Carolyn's Classics local jam, and a special "420" kolache that is "very popular". Our evaluation of kolaches has never been higher. Hotko Bread Co. 480-808-1059, hotkobreadco.com Using her bohemian great-grandmother’s recipe, Alexhandra Hotko makes traditional prunes and poppy seed kolacky (Czech spelling), as well as an American version with blueberries and cinnamon or jam Apricots (three $5). Hotko's mace dough has a slightly floral fragrance and is more intense than Texas dough. Kolaches needs a long-fermented dough. Hotko starts to ferment in the early morning and ferments for 6 to 7 hours a day. After rolling out the dough, she cut it into circles. "My great-grandmother used a special cup, but it was not preserved, so I used a mason jar lid," Hotko said. After the dough was formed, she let it rise again to make small dimples with thumbprints, rubbed delicate egg liquid on the top, and then filled Czech pastries before baking. Find Hotko Bread Co. at the farmers market in the residential area.

Topped with fruit or stuffed with meat, kolache perfectly blends Eastern European pastry traditions with the flavors of Lone Star. 

4302 E. Ray Rd., Phoenix 480-706-7007, thekolachecafe.com Unless you live in Texas or have Eastern European ancestry, you may not be familiar with kolache, a pillow pastry with fruit or meat filling. When Czech immigrants settled in rural Texas in the late 1880s, they rode kolaches with them. The Texas variety is saltier than sweet, but Ahwatukee’s Kolache Café does both ($1.98-2.98, pictured). Owner Joe Leal sneaked this dish into the valley when he moved here from Houston. He said that the hand-held food is the perfect meal. "It's affordable and you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere. It's a good choice for breakfast and lunch." The fluffy dough—a mixture of sweet Hawaiian bread and Pike homemade rolls—provides apples, apricots, and plenty of other fruit fillings. It is a perfect cradle and provides a sponge conveyor system for smoked sausage; meatless potatoes, cheese and eggs; and other delicacies. Most popular? Smoked sausage and cheese, with or without jalapenos. "People buy as soon as they hit."

3213 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale 480-500-5236, thelocaldonutshop.com Logic tells you that the donut shop specializes in sweet coke, but The Local Donut in Scottsdale only produces savory donuts. It offers four types, including sausage with jalapeno and pepper jack cheese, each wrapped in a soft dough, similar to a slightly sweet dinner roll ($2.29 to $3.29). "We had to increase the production of kolache because customers are discovering them," said owner Daniel Sam. In fact, Sam recently hired a dedicated kolache baker who has been experimenting with salty and sweet kolaches, including cherries and blueberries. Past flavors include Monte Cristo with poached eggs, turkey and cheese and Carolyn's Classics local jam, and a special "420" kolache that is "very popular". Our evaluation of kolaches has never been higher.

480-808-1059, hotkobreadco.com Using her bohemian great-grandmother’s recipe, Alexhandra Hotko makes traditional prunes and poppy seed kolacky (Czech spelling), as well as an American version with blueberries and cinnamon or apricot jam (three Each for $5). Hotko's mace dough has a slightly floral fragrance and is more intense than Texas dough. Kolaches needs a long-fermented dough. Hotko starts to ferment in the early morning and ferments for 6 to 7 hours a day. After rolling out the dough, she cut it into circles. "My great-grandmother used a special cup, but it was not preserved, so I used a mason jar lid," Hotko said. After the dough was formed, she let it rise again to make small dimples with thumbprints, rubbed delicate egg liquid on the top, and then filled Czech pastries before baking. Find Hotko Bread Co. at the farmers market in the residential area.

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