The Secret's In The Dough
Kolache baker wins state title
By QUALA MATOCHA lifestyle@leader-news.com

Contributed Photo Debbie Frakey, the granddaughter of the late Ethel Roddy of El Campo, shows off her winnings from Caldwell's Kolache Festival bake-off this past year. She won the grand champion title in the professional category with her jalapeno cheese pig-in-the-blanket. Her kolaches and pigs include her grandmother's secret dough recipe, however with a little alteration to make it even sweeter. She is the niece of Glenn Roddy of El Campo.

The secret is in the ingredients and Debbie Frakey is not sharing the recipe that brought her fame at Caldwell's Kolache Festival this year. She credits the success of her sweet, delicious kolaches to the late Ethel Roddy, her grandmother who owned Roddy's Donut Shop in El Campo.

Now Frakey, a Lake Jackson resident, has followed in her grandmother's footsteps, using the family recipe for the delectables at her own bakery, The Kolache Shop in Clute.

"Her recipe was great," Frakey said.

As a small girl, she recalls spending summers and weekends at her grandma's bakery. El Campo was considered her second home with her uncles Glenn Roddy, who still lives here, and her late uncle Dennis Roddy.

"I started baking at the age of 10," she recalls. "I always loved baking."

Frakey took that recipe, with a few changes, and entered it in Caldwell's State Kolache contest.

"I used the sweet dough, a secret family recipe, and tweaked it a little- made it a bit sweeter," she said.

Using the adjusted recipe for her jalapeno cheese pig-in-the-blanket clinched the grand champion state title in the professional category. She also entered her regular pig, also known as a klobasincky. It won first in its class. Frakey was surprised by both wins.

"This is the first time for me to enter the kolache contest," she said. "I was so shocked. I figured I would go and learn what I needed to know for next year. We knew our product was good, because quality is important to me. We don't go the cheaper route. I make them like I would for my family."

The other ingredient she claims makes her pigs-in-the-blanket so good is the sausage.

"We use sausage meat out of Snook. It's a good sausage," she said. "It Slovacek's sausage. It's a little bit spicier and it's link sausage, not a wiener."

To add to the heightened joy of winning, Frakey also made the news, being interviewed by Channel 13's Cynthia Cisneros a few weeks ago. She also made the front page of the Clute paper, as well as several radio spots. With all the attention, it's no wonder The Kolache Shop's business has picked up.

While the kolaches, both fruit filled and sausage, are favorites of her patrons, she makes donuts, cinnamon rolls, ham and cheese pigs and a pepper jack faitja roll. She uses the same sweet dough for all these products.

"The big baked cinnamon roll is a big seller," she said.

Her parents, the late Royce Roddy and Betty Rebecek Roddy, grew up in El Campo. They moved to Freeport and together with their daughter, opened The Kolache Shop. Now her mom lives in Sweeny.

"My mother, dad and I opened up the shop 23 years ago," said Frakey. Today her husband, Stephen, and their daughters, Tiffany Binegar and Courtney Frakey, help with operation. Courtney, who is 16, helps mostly during the summer months. Frakey has nine full-time employees counting herself and her daughter. Their day starts at 2 a.m. to get the goodies out on the rack by 5 a.m.

So if you're ever in Clute, go by and try out The Kolache Shop. They are located at 120 S. Highway 288B and open Monday through Friday, 5-11 a.m.