A North Texas bakery is working to preserve Czech heritage through traditional baking. The bakery’s owner says a popular savory pastry has been misidentified for decades. Shelly Miller, owner of Village Bakery in West, Texas, says the pastry is actually called a klobasnik, not a kolache.

Czech Heritage in Texas

While many Texans use the word kolache to describe a pastry stuffed with sausage, cheese or other savory fillings, Miller says a traditional Czech kolache is sweet and typically filled with fruit or jam. The savory version, known as a klobasnik, has roots in Texas and was created in the West during the 1950s, blending Czech baking traditions with Texas tastes.

The town of West, located along Interstate 35, has long celebrated its Czech culture through events such as Westfest and its well-known bakeries. With the Czechia national football team training in North Texas during the World Cup, bakery owners hope players, fans and visitors make the trip to West to learn more about that heritage.

Inside the bakery, head baker Dusty Uptmore continues a family tradition using a closely guarded dough recipe. The process involves rolling dough, adding sausage, meat and cheese fillings, sealing the pastry and baking it until golden brown.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.