Kara VanDooijeweertNorthJersey.com
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Everything's bigger in Texas — except kolaches, which are about the size of one of those side-dish disposable Dixie plates.
A fluffy hybrid between a donut and a Danish, however, the small pastry is more sought after than larger things. Its melt-in-your-mouth dough is tastier than a bowl of taters, its buttery crumb topping more impressive than the Cowboy's 1977 season.
As far as Texas-specific concepts go, the kolache has a reputation as big as barbecued beef.
That fame, though, doesn't seem to extend past the state's borders, because — to most of the rest of the country — the pastry (which is as said to be as common in the area as bagels in Manhattan) just doesn't exist.
Nevertheless, the days of kolaches' anonymity may be numbered; because Chris and Maryanne Certosimo have officially brought them to New Jersey.
And, as tucked away as the couple's Lone Star Bakeshop is, I managed to find them.
Here's hoping the pillowy treats go viral.
Texas kolaches arrive in New Jersey
"We lived in Texas for 10 years," Maryanne Certosimo said, "And —every Sunday — we would go to our local kolache shop. Our kids were little at the time, but they'd wake up early and go to the 8 a.m. church service because they knew our favorite bakery would be sold out if we went any later. It's how we got them out of bed."
Kolaches, Certosimo explained, are a Czech pastry brought from Europe to Texas in generations past. Essentially a donut in size and texture, but a Danish in appearance and flavor, each one features fluffy, high-yeast dough around a center of various fillings.
Maryanne and her husband are the first to serve them in Jersey.
"In Texas, kolache shops are as common as bagel shops," Certosimo said. "But when we moved back to New Jersey, we couldn't find a single one."
"Then COVID hit, and we had a lot of free time — " Chris Certosimo interjected.
" — So he decided to make them," Maryanne finished.
"Perfecting the recipe took me over a year," said Chris.
Once the kolaches reached peak condition, an endeavor whose length was owed to the difficulty of "nailing the pillowy texture," the couple launched Lone Star Bakeshop.
Tasting a unique regional pastry
Last week, I made the trek west to Haskell to try the Certosimo's unique treats. Though I'd been to Texas many times before, I'd never had a kolache (despite having heard of them). When I'm in a donut shop, I generally spring for an apple fritter before something fluffy and delicate.
The prospect of sampling the sweet cream variety, however, was enough to get me in the door.
The prospect of blowing them up on Instagram was even more fuel to the fire.
I've never professed to be a light eater, so I'm sure no one was surprised when I ordered every kolache on the menu. Blueberry, cherry, apple, hazelnut and a savory egg and cheese — if it was in the case, it was in my to-go box.
I tried the sweet cream first.
Sinking my teeth into the fresh-baked pastry, I noted the way the exterior ring of dough dissolved on my tongue. The high-gluten flour created an incredible airiness within the kolache that allowed each bite to melt away before I had the chance to thoroughly chew it. Though the treat looked like a donut, its texture more closely resembled an Asian milk bun.
"The secret to the tender texture of my kolaches," Chris Certosimo said, "Is the tangzhong method of baking. In Japan, bakers use that technique to make Japanese milk bread."
A big fan of Asian pastries, I recognized the similarities between the two products.
I forgot about that bread, however, when I arrived at the pastry's creamy center. Sitting under a layer of sugary crumb topping, the filling tasted like a decadent cheesecake, henceforth adding irresistible richness to an otherwise light dish — and I was totally into that.
"I knew that flavor was going to be my favorite," I told the Certosimos.
When I tried the blueberry, though, I had second guesses (because I loved how the crumb sat above the fruit compote like streusel on a cobbler).
How to get Texas kolaches in New Jersey
"We have lots of regulars," Maryanne said, "Who all love the kolaches. We have some people who come from Texas and say 'I never thought I'd find them here!' and others who tried them for the first time at our bakery. But everyone loves them, and we love making them."
And, if you'd love to try them? Make sure to get to Lone Star Tuesday to Sunday before 10 a.m.
Because, Maryanne warns, "Once we sell out? We sell out."
Lone Star Bakeshop is located at 1185 Ringwood Ave. in Haskell. For more information about the bakery, visit lonestarbakeshopnj.com.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram:@karanicolev&@northjerseyeats, and sign up for herNorth Jersey Eats newsletter.
