Bohemian Sweet Rolls

oh boy! its been awhile. getting ready for christmas has been hectic! heres a new recipe i found in my "Bread Bible" by Beth Hensperger. These puffy, round, feather-light buns, which conceal a dried fruit or cheese filling, are, along with gingerbrean figures, favorite holiday ornaments. These are a Czech pastry tradition called the Kolacki. They are Great! i'm not sure how you would hang them on your christmas tree, thats just what it says in the book! lol...it does take some time to make these wonderful rolls so make sure you allow penty of time.

Bohemian Sweet Rolls
(Kolacki)
Yields 24 rolls
Prep including rise time:
about 2 ½ hours
cook time: one pan…20 min.

1 Package dry yeast
3T. Sugar
½ C. Warm Water
1 ½ C. Warm milk
Grated Zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1 ½ t. salt
6-6 ½ C. unbleached AP flour
8T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
~Dried Fruit Filling~
8 oz. Dried Fruit
2T. Fruit brandy
1/3 C. Sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2T. unsalted butter
~Fresh Cheese Filling~
1 ½ C. Ricotta Cheese
½ C. Sugar
1 large egg
1t. pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Pour the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over the surface of the water. Stir to dissolve and let stand at room temp. until foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl with a whisk combine the remaining sugar, the warm milk, lemon zest, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat again for 1 minute. Add the butter pieces and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 to 2 minutes, dusting with flour only 1T. at a time as needed to prevent sticking. Do not add too much flour or the bread will be dry.
Place the dough in a greased deep container. Turn once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the fruit or cheese filling.
To make the fruit filling, in a small saucepan, combine the dried fruit of your choice with a corresponding fruit brandy and water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserved ¼ cup of liquid. Combine the warm fruit, reserved liquid, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter in food processor fitted with the metal blade and processor until smooth.
To make the cheese filling, combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree just until smooth. Set aside or cover and refrigerate until needed.
Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Grease two baking sheets. Divide into 2 equal portions. Divide each portion into 12 equal portions. Form each portions into a round ball. Flatten each ball into a disk about 3 in. in diameter. Place the disks about 2 in. apart on the baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 30 minutes. (The pastries may also rise overnight in the refrigerator.)
20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350F. with your thumb, press an indentation into the center of each roll to form a hollow. Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of filling into each hollow. Place one pan at a tim e on a rack in the center of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.