Klobásníky

Ingredients

½ cup whole milk

4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened, plus 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted, divided

1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

2 tablespoons sugar

teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

½ teaspoon table salt

cups (11¼ ounces) all-purpose flour

1 (1-pound) ring link Prasek's Smoked Pork and Beef sausage, chilled

Directions

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk milk, softened butter, egg and yolk, sugar, yeast, and salt on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute (some small lumps of butter will remain). Fit stand mixer with dough hook. Add flour and mix on low speed until no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom, about 3 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly greased counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, cut sausage into 2 equal lengths. Cut each length into 3 equal pieces, each about 3 inches long. Slice each piece in half lengthwise to form 12 equal pieces. Using paring knife, peel casing from sausage pieces; discard casing pieces and set sausage aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan with 2 teaspoons melted butter. Transfer dough to lightly greased counter, divide into 12 equal pieces (about 1⅔ ounces each), and cover loosely with plastic. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), form dough into rough ball. Place ball seam side down on counter, then loosely cup dough with your palm and roll in circles against counter to form smooth, tight ball. Cover with plastic wrap.

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, place ball seam side up on counter. Using your fingertips, press ball into 4 by 5-inch rectangle. Place 1 piece of sausage cut side up in center of dough, with long side of sausage parallel to long side of rectangle. Bring edges of dough up and around sausage and pinch seams to seal, completely encasing sausage. Arrange shaped klobásníky seam side down in 3 rows of four in prepared pan. Brush klobásníky with 2 teaspoons melted butter, cover with plastic, and let rise again until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove plastic and bake until tops of klobásníky are light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Brush with remaining 2 teaspoons melted butter and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

TO MAKE AHEAD: Klobásníky can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen. To freeze, wrap fully cooled individual klobásníky in plastic wrap and freeze in zipper-lock bag for up to 3 months; thaw before reheating. To reheat, wrap individual klobásníky in paper towels and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Nutrition

Calories: 3291 calories