Dessert Recipes
Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling
2 large frgals (about 8 servings)
While many know kolaches, the Frgal is a special, large version popular in central Europe. This detailed recipe for Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling will guide you through creating two beautiful, large pastries. We'll cover everything from the rich, yeasted leaven and tender yeasted dough to a delicious homemade plum filling. Read More
Dessert Recipes
Before You Start
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
Understanding the Leaven for Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling
The very first step in my Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling recipe is creating the leaven. This isn’t just mixing ingredients; it’s about activating the 1 TBSP of active dry yeasts. I have you combine the yeast with lukewarm milk (specifically ½ cup, preheated in the microwave to about 90 to 100°F), ½ cup of bread flour, and 2 TBSP of confectioners’ sugar. Using lukewarm milk is vital; if it’s too hot, it will harm the yeast, and if it’s too cold, it won’t activate properly. After stirring this mixture thoroughly, I instruct you to cover it with a plate or plastic wrap and set it aside. You are looking for it to double in volume, which usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes. This visual cue tells you the yeast is alive and ready to make your yeasted dough rise beautifully.
Kneading the Dough: Tips for Success
After we mix the initial dough ingredients (1 egg, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 stick of room temperature butter, the leaven, lemon zest, and ¼ TSP salt), we add the 2 cups of bread flour and another ¼ cup of lukewarm milk. This is where the kneading begins, and it’s a key part of this Frgal kolach recipe. The recipe notes that this process can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes. I want to emphasize this because it’s important not to worry if the dough seems too sticky at first. It often does!
You must give the mixer (with the hook attachment) time to work. The dough should eventually start pulling away from the sides of the bowl. It might still be a little sticky when done, but the majority, if not all, of the dough should follow the hook during kneading. If you’ve passed 10 minutes and it’s still unworkably sticky, the recipe allows for adding 1 tbsp of flour at a time, mixing after each addition. The goal for this Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling is a compact yeasted dough that is manageable, so just be patient with the baking process.
Why Breadcrumbs in the Plum Filling?
Let’s talk about the homemade plum filling. We use 2 LB of prunes (or plums), 1 cup of water, and 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar. After simmering and reducing the fruit (about 10 minutes covered, then 5-10 minutes uncovered), I have you process it *briefly* with an immersion blender. We still want some texture. But the most important step here is adding the ½ cup of regular breadcrumbs. This might seem unusual, but the breadcrumbs are essential for this Frgal. Their job is to absorb excess moisture from the plum filling during baking. This prevents the filling from becoming too watery and making the yeasted dough of your Frgal soggy. It ensures you get a clean slice and a perfect texture.
As a note, the recipe does mention you can simplify this step by using store-bought preserves or marmalade, which is a modification that is not part of the base recipe. If you do, you’ll want at least 1 cup, and preferably 1 ½ to 2 cups, per Frgal.
The Secret to a Perfect Streusel Topping
The streusel is the crowning glory of this Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling. My method is straightforward and effective. I have you place 1 stick of butter, ¾ cup of all-purpose flour, and ¾ cup of granulated sugar into a kitchen mixer with a whisk attachment. Using the whisk attachment (not a paddle) and processing at medium speed for 2-3 minutes is the key. This technique breaks the butter into the flour and sugar, creating those perfect, crumbly streusel pieces that add a wonderful texture to the final baked Frgal.
Forming the Frgal: The No-Flour Technique
My recipe for this kolach has a very specific instruction for forming the dough, which is key to its final shape. After the yeasted dough has doubled or tripled in size (about 2 hours), we split it in half. You’ll place each half on parchment paper where you’ve drawn an 11-12” circle. The most important part of this step is: Do not use any additional flour while forming the Frgal. The dough should be manageable enough from the kneading process to be rolled out directly on the parchment using a rolling pin. We want to preserve the tender texture we worked hard to create, and adding extra flour here can make the final Frgal tough.
Assembling the Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling
Once your Frgal dough is rolled out, the assembly has a specific detail I don’t want you to miss. Before adding the plum filling, I instruct you to brush the *edge* of the dough with a hand-whisked egg. You’ll notice the recipe says “no need to brush the center.” This egg wash, applied only to the ½-inch border we leave empty, serves two purposes: it helps the streusel stick to the edge, and it gives the crust of the Frgal a beautiful, shiny, lightly brown, appetizing color during baking. This simple step makes the final Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling look truly professional.
Baking and Rotating for an Even Bake
For the baking step, I have you preheat the oven to 370°F. This recipe makes two large Frgals, and the instructions note you can bake both at the same time, even in a regular oven (though convection works best). A critical step here is to rotate the baking sheets in the middle of baking, approximately after the first 10 minutes. This ensures both your Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling pastries bake evenly and achieve that perfect, lightly brown color on all sides. The total baking time is usually about 15-20 minutes.
Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling
Ingredients:
Click any ingredient to learn moreLeaven:
½ cup of milk - preheat in microwave to lukewarm (about 90 to 100°F)
½ cup of bread flour (or all-purpose)
2 TBSP of confectioners’ sugar
1 TBSP of active dry yeasts
Dough:
1 egg
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter - room temperature (¼ LB, or salted butter)
¼ TSP of salt (skip salt if salted butter is used)
2 cups of bread flour (or all-purpose)
¼ cup of milk - preheat in microwave to lukewarm (about 90 to 100°F)
Brushing:
1 egg
Prune filling: *
2 LB of prunes (or plums)
1 cup of water
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar (optionally reduce to ½ cup for a less sweet taste)
½ cup of breadcrumbs (regular)
Streusel:
1 stick of unsalted butter (¼ LB)
¾ cup of all-purpose flour
¾ cup of granulated sugar
* Note: Optionally, you can simplify the process by using store-bought preserves or marmalade (no need to add any ingredients or heat it up). Each frgal should have at least 1 cup of filling, preferably about 1 ½ cups, and optionally up to 2 cups.
Tools:
Click any tool to learn more1x French Whisk
1x Plate (or plastic wrap to cover bowl with dough)
1x Rolling Pin
1x Plate
1x Pizza Cutter (or sharp knife)
Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 8 servings)
EstimatedCalories 1013
Protein 12.1 g
Fat 26.2 g
Saturated fat 15.3 g
Carbohydrate 188.6 g
Sugars 117.6 g
Fiber 5.6 g
Sodium 147 mg
Cholesterol 109 mg
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.
Directions:
1.Leaven:
Let’s start preparation of Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling by preparing the leaven.
1.1.
1.2.
Cover with a plate or plastic wrap.
2.Dough:
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
Then increase speed to high and knead until the dough is compact and stops sticking to the bowl – it can still have a little residue around the bowl, but at least the majority of the dough should be unstuck during processing.
Important Notes:
- This process can sometimes take only about 2 minutes, but often requires 6 to 9 minutes, potentially even up to 10 minutes. At first, the dough may seem too sticky, but eventually, it should start pulling away from the sides of the bowl. (It might still be slightly sticky when done, but at least the majority, if not all, of the dough should follow the hook during kneading.)
- If you go over 10 minutes and the dough is still too sticky, add 1 tbsp of flour and mix for another minute or two. That should solve the problem. If not, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing after each addition until resolved. Try not to add more flour than necessary to achieve the desired texture.
3.Rising the Dough:
3.1.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and cover it with a plate or plastic wrap.
4.Plum Filling:
4.1.
Plum preparation:
4.1.1.
Thoroughly clean the fruit under cold water.
4.1.2.
Cut into halves and then remove the seed. Do not peel.
4.1.3.
Roughly chop into pieces.
4.2.
Simmering:
4.2.1.
Place a small saucepan on medium heat and add:
2 LB of chopped plums
1 cup of water
1 ½ cup of granulated sugar
Bring to a simmer with occasional stirring.
4.2.2.
Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes with occasional stirring.
4.3.
Finishing the filling:
4.3.1.
Remove the lid and cook with occasional stirring to reduce the liquid to at least half of its’ current stage but not to the point that the sugar starts to caramelize (about 5 – 10 minutes).
4.3.2.
Remove from the stove and while still in the pot, briefly process with an immersion blender (about 5 seconds).
4.3.3.
Add:
½ cup of breadcrumbs
And thoroughly stir.
4.3.4.
Set aside for a later step. It can be placed on the frgal while partially or fully cooled based on your convenience.
5.Streusel:
6.Frgal Forming:
6.1.
6.3.
Place one piece of dough on each parchment paper.
7.Assemble:
Note:
Filling and streusel were prepared for both frgals (split it to half).r
7.1.
7.2.
Place filling in the center and then distribute evenly around the whole frgal – just leave about ½” of the edge of the diameter without filling.
7.3.
Sprinkle both frgals evenly with streusel.
8.Proofing:
8.1.
Let it proof at room temperature for about 10 -15 minutes before baking.
9.Baking:
9.1.
Set oven to preheat to 370°F.
9.2.
Place both formed and proofed frgals into the oven (convection ovens for this purpose work best, but you can bake both frgals together even in a regular oven).
9.3.
Bake in a preheated oven until the frgal is baked (the edges turn to a nice, lightly brown, appetizing color). This usually takes about 15 – 20 minutes.
9.4.
Rotate the baking sheets in the middle of baking (approximately after the first 10 minutes of baking).
9.5.
Remove from the oven and let fully cool or at least partially cool before serving.
Important:
Be aware that the filling is extremely hot after baking until fully cooled.
10.Serving Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling:
10.1.
Cut into quarters or six slices.
10.2.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar right before serving.
Popular questions
My dough seems very sticky even after 5 minutes of kneading. What should I do?
This is a very common observation with this yeasted dough! I mention in the recipe notes that at first, the dough may seem too sticky. The kneading process for this Frgal Kolach with Plum Filling can often require 6 to 9 minutes, and sometimes even up to 10 minutes. My best advice is to let the mixer continue to knead on high speed. Eventually, the dough should start pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If you have gone over 10 minutes and the dough is still too sticky, then you can add 1 tbsp of bread flour and mix for another minute or two. You can repeat this, adding 1 tbsp at a time, but try not to add more flour than necessary to achieve the desired texture for this kolach.
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