Sourdough Plum Kolache and a Recipe for Sourdough Rich Dough (Suitable for Sweetened Buns)

 

Last week I mentioned that I had pulled my sourdough starter out of the fridge to see if it had any viability in it after sitting untouched for 3 1/2 years. And it did. I used it to make these plum kolache buns.

I used almost a full half-pint jar of plum jam in the topping. I also added some crumb topping on top of the plum. The next time I make these, I will spread the dough rounds out thinner and use a full jar of jam and a lot more crumb topping.

We all thought these were quite good. I used a rich sourdough dough for these, one that works well for cinnamon rolls as well as fruity buns. This recipe was passed on to me by the lady who gave me my first sourdough starter 35 years ago. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on making sourdough kolache and sourdough cinnamon buns, but I chose this particular recipe because it didn't call for as much butter or sugar as the recipes I saw online. So, I'll share this, for those of you who like to use sourdough starter in baking.

Sourdough Rich Dough

3/4 cup active starter

1 cup milk (I used soy milk)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup soft butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Stir sourdough starter, milk, and 2 cups of the flour together in a large non-metallic bowl. Cover and let stand in a warm place overnight.

The next morning beat the soft butter, 3 tablespoons sugar and egg together until well blended. beat into the sourdough mixture. Stir together the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then combine with the wet mixture.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, and doesn't stick to the surface.

Form into chosen roll shapes, fill (if needed), place on buttered baking sheet, and allow to rise until doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees F until golden (somewhere around 30-35 minutes, depending on roll size and shape).

I made 12 buns with my kolache using this dough. My plan to spread the dough thinner next time and use more jam includes making 16 buns instead of 12, as these were very filling in the size I baked. For kolache, I rolled balls then flattened into circles, making the center of each circle thinner than the sides. I then filled each with the jam. After allowing to rise util doubled, I sprinkled crumb topping over each before popping into the oven to bake. The powdered sugar adds a nice finishing touch and just a hint of additional sweetness.