Doughlicious Bakery Offers Old World Kolachi and More

WARREN, Ohio – The secret to making great kolachi is in the dough, says Jacqueline Brown.

There’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s all the owner of Doughlicious Bakery will reveal.

Brown recently opened the bakery at 1040 E. Market St., near Trumbull Regional Medical Cener, on the city’s east side.

It’s her first brick and mortar store, but making kolachi has always been an important part of Brown’s life.

“I’ve been making kolachi since I was about 10 years old,” said Brown, who lives in Champion but grew up in Warren. “My grandparents [John and Rose Makosky] started baking kolachi out of their home 40 or 50 years ago and sold it to friends and family. We’re still using their secret family recipe.”

Kolachi is the eastern European delicacy that is so revered in this part of the country that it’s practically a form of currency.

It starts with a rich and dense dough that is rolled thin and slathered with filling – apricot, poppy seed and lekvar (prune) are the traditional flavors – then rolled into a log and baked.

It sounds simple, but it involves many details and tricks of the trade. To do it right, a baker cannot cut any corners, and that makes kolachi making a time-consuming process.

With the help of her aunt, Vikki Pavis, and other family members, Brown gets busy in the bakery kitchen every morning. Pavis is the daughter of the Makoskys, and everyone who works in her bakery is part of her family.

“I make 72 kolachi every day, just me and two others, and it takes six to eight hours to make them,” Brown said.

While kolachi is common in all Slavic nations, each country makes it a little differently. Brown’s kolachi is Slovak style.

Stepping into Doughlicious, one is greeted by the sweet and warm aroma of an Old World bakery – or a grandmother’s kitchen.

Brown adheres to time-tested techniques to achieve a consistent product. That’s one reason why her kolachi is so delicious, she said.

“One secret is that we hand roll the dough,” she revealed. “A large store will cut corners by using a dough roller machine that levels it. I don’t know why, but it comes out better when you hand roll it.”

Brown also does not skimp on the ingredients. “We use the highest quality butter and flour, and you can taste it,” she said.

A more personal Makosky family tradition also goes into the baking of each batch.

“We pray over the products when we make them, for those who will eat it and for the world in general,” Brown said. “That is a custom that was instilled in us by my grandmother.”

Brown has been making kolachi and other baked treats as a home business for years and built a name for her brand by selling them at festivals and other events.

With the holiday season approaching, she is ready for the usual crush of orders from folks who want traditional desserts on their table. “The holiday season is the busiest time of the year,” Brown said.

While the store is open daily, orders can also be placed by phone at 330 609 9190 or online HERE.

The price of a 15-inch kolachi is $17, and half-loafs are also available.

Doughlicious also offers cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pretzels and bread.

The store has a dining room where customers can enjoy their treats, and it will soon offer coffee. There will always be fresh kolachi in the bakery case, along with other treats depending on what else Brown decides to bake that day.

Those who stop in can watch Brown and her family in action. Doughlicious has an open kitchen design with a glass wall that offers a view of the bakers as they work.

The bakery also has a room that can be rented for parties and receptions.

Pictured at top: Jacqueline Brown shows off some of the kolachi she bakes at Doughlicious Bakery.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.