Drywood native is keeping the art of kolache making alive

Courier Sentinel

Every Father’s Day and for other events at the historic Bohemian Hall, crowds flock to the lodge, for Dana Moucha-Carlson’s famous, homemade kolaches. The pastry-filled treats are much sought after in the area, especially since they’re so hard to find.

“There are a few of us left,” said Dana, known as the “Kolache Queen.”

Kolác or kolach, with the plural version of koláce or kolache (pronounced co-loch or co-loch-ee), are derived from the Czech word “kola,” meaning wheels. The pastry originated in the Czech Republic in the 1700s, where round breads symbolize the sun and moon.

“Every nationality has their own version of a danish…so this is their’s,” said Dana.

There is a Texas version that calls itself a kolach, but that’s very different, with a savory sausage wrapped in dough. Texas has a bigger Czech population, after the immigrants were recruited to help build the railroad.

“Cadott has a large Czech population, because they were promised all this farmland, after they logged it off,” said Dana. “Around here, I don’t see the meat-stuffed ones ever. It just probably got mixed up somewhere along the line.”

Although she’s made at least hundreds of thou- sands of kolache by her own admission, Dana, who is originally from Drywood (rural Cadott), but now lives in Stanley, didn’t grow up making the pastries. In fact, her mother, Jane LaNou Moucha, got a late start on the tradition, as well, until one day, Grandma Moucha – a true Bohemian – arrived at her house and told Jane she needed to learn the art.

Jane began making the kolache in earnest about 2000, when the family took an interest in restoration efforts of the Bohemian Hall.

“That’s when she started getting into doing it, because there was no one around doing it anymore and she wanted to bring it back a bit,” said Dana.

Dana also picked up the art and used to mass produce the treats when she was a co-manager at Alberta May’s Restaurant in Stanley.

“We’d have kolache day,” said Dana. Now that Jane is gone, it’s important to Dana to keep that art alive, in honor of her roots and her mother. It’s not an easy feat, as the process is hours and hours long, on account of the rising time. One batch of kolache make about 10 dozen.

To begin, for the sweet dough, Dana combines Crisco, lard, butter, whole milk, yeast, sugar, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla. Once the dough has risen, she forms about 2-inch balls to raise yet again.

“My mom always said like an unshelled walnut, but I’ve never encountered a walnut in my lifetime, so I don’t know,” said Dana.

Her mother also used to expertly roll the walnut- sized balls on the counter, but Dana never was able to pick up that style, instead, rolling them in the palm of her hand. Having taught many classes on kolache making, Dana says the only way people can truly know if they’re doing the dough right, is to do it hands-on.

“It’s very important for them to feel it, so they kind of know what the end goal is,” she said.

Once the dough balls have risen, Dana uses three fingers to partially flatten them, making room for everyone’s favorite part – the filling!

Traditionally, plum jam, cheese or poppy seed filling is used for kolache, but modern toppings include apricot, blueberries, cherries, lemon and raspberry filling. Prune filling is extremely thick, so that and the poppy seed filling are thinned out with applesauce. While Dana buys her filling from bulk food stores, because of time constraints, she says homemade fillings would work just as well.

“You absolutely could,” said Dana. Over the 20 years since she started making them, things have changed, not just in Dana’s life, but in the economy, requiring her to up the price from 50 cents a kolach to $1.50 each. What hasn’t changed, is how big the demand is for her talents. Including events at Bohemian Hall, Dana is also called on to make kolache for weddings, and birthday, anniversary and graduation parties.

She also is passionate about holding community classes to pass the art on, since her three sons are not interested in spending time in the kitchen; thankfully, she’s passed the skill onto her nieces, so it will live on the family. If anyone is interested in a class or simply wants the recipe, Dana encourages people to email her at hdcjcarlson@gmail. com or to give her a call, at 715-271-4454. Dana said now is the time to learn, before those who know how to make kolache, are gone.

“It’s a lost art, because people just don’t do it anymore,” said Dana.