The Johnny Kolache Story
Yes, there really is a Johnny. In Utah, he started on his quest
for the perfect kolache, eating his mistakes and tweaking his
recipes with tips from gray-haired old ladies who'd learned secrets
passed down for generations. Soon, he was making the tasty treats
for friends, first from a toaster oven in his own kitchen and then
from pizza ovens in borrowed space.
The secret to the ultimate kolache is in the dough: a delicate balance of flaky, soft, and sweet. Coaxing perfection out of flour is an art onto itself; from mixing to proofing to baking, Johnny needed more control over the process. So, in early 2006 he made the decision to take the plunge. He took on some partners and the venture was underway. Johnny, Chris, and friends began renovating a storefront in Salt Lake City to become the center of the local kolache universe. They did all the demolition and the construction of the now remodeled building. Fortunately for all of us, Johnny and his team are better bakers than cabinet makers.
Johnny Kolache fired up the
ovens and opened for business on September 15, 2008, and began what
he thought would be a slow process of evangelizing a food new to the
Intermountain West. Word quickly spread and within two weeks, he was
running out of popular flavors (which are all of them) and his new
friends were placing custom orders for meetings and parties.
Try as he might, he still runs out from time to time. So if you can't go another day without your kolache fix, visit them early. Johnny and the rest of his team look forward to seeing you.
