A Peek Inside St. Louis Kolache's Pillowy Pastries

For those not in the know, kolaches are balls of sweet, chewy dough stuffed with a multitude of ingredients. Some are sweet, filled with jams; others are savory, packed with meat. Some are best suited to breakfast, with eggs and sausage, whereas others are tailored to the lunch crowd, filled with Buffalo chicken or pulled pork. (Technically, only the sweet ones are kolaches; the savory pigs-in-a-blanket varieties are klobasnek.) The Czech pastries are a staple in Texas, and they’re quickly becoming trendy nationwide. They’re relatively cheap, small enough to mix and match, and self-contained for on-the-go eating. We cut into the rolls at St. Louis Kolache, which plans to open a second location this month, to find out what makes them so delicious.