August 1st, 1987
Baking the World's
Largest Kolach
Total Diameter
14' 10"
Outer Crust
19"
Filling Diameter
13' 3"
Crust Height
5"
Constructing
The Oven & The Pan
In order to bake the 2,605 pound kolach, a custom oven and pan had to be fabricated.
The Oven
The walls and ceilings, made from insulated semi trailer sides, were bolted together. The finished measurement of the structure was 24 feet long and wide, and 8 feet tall.
The Burner
Multiple furnance and burner companies were contacted to find a burner that would provide adequate and uniform heat. The final burner was 10 square feet and required two regulators to reduce the pressure from a 3,000 gallon propane truck.
The Pan
Weighing in at one ton empty, the baking pan was constructed from two semi trailer frames welded together and reinforced to support the weight of the finished kolach. It also made it portable to take to the local grain elevator for a certified weight.
Raw Dough
740 lbs
Cherry FIlling
250 gallons
Shredded Coconut
20 lbs
Perfecting the Pastry
Assembling the Kolach
The Dough
The yeast dough required 25 people to knead, form, and bake. It would then double in size after being allowed to rise.
The Filling
After rising, cherry filling was poured into a crater formed in the center with a final depth of 4 inches. To prevent the filling from pushing out the sides of the kolach, the entire pastry was wrapped in a metal band.
Baking the World's Largest Kolach
The burner was lit and oven was closed; baking began. Internal temperature of the oven was monitored by various gauges throughout the oven, maintaining 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Baking Time
The kolach baked for 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The Bakers
Firefighters entered the oven in full gear to monitor the pastry baking.
