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    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Slovak Bobalki Recipe

    Published: Jun 15, 2023 · Modified: Jun 12, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 4 Comments

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    No Slovak Christmas would be complete without Bobalki bread! Baked in the oven and sprinkled with poppy seeds, Bobalki balls are bursting with delicious flavor and are sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth.

    Slovak sweet bobalki balls sprinkled with poppy seeds, served in a bowl.

    ➜ What is Bobalki bread?

    Bobalki bread is a traditional Slovak Christmas dish made of yeast dough balls baked in the oven. Once out of the oven, the bread balls are covered with hot milk to soak up.

    Ultimately, they are sprinkled with ground poppy seeds and sweetened with warm honey or powdered sugar. A bit of melted butter drizzled on top crowns the overall dish.

    ⇢ Check out more Slovak recipes!

    I made bobalki balls at the end of this spring when it was still relatively cool outside, and the dish vanished from the table in an instant! I enjoy the flavor of poppy seeds because I am a true Czech, and it makes me happy to know that my family shares this passion!

    NOTE: You should know that bobalki can be prepared in many different ways throughout Slovakia. In some regions, they are eaten with sauerkraut, while in others, Slovak people prefer the sweet version with honey and poppy seeds.

    This particular recipe comes from the eastern part of Slovakia, where Slovakia borders Ukraine and Poland to the north.

    The other name of this dish is Opékance. And the correct Slovak spelling of the word Bobalki is Bobáľky.

    The Czechs make a similar dish and call it Peciválky, Pupáky, or Burášky.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Everything you need to make homemade bobalki bread from scratch.

    For yeast dough:

    Ingredients for yeast dough for Slovak bobalki, with captions.
    • All-purpose flour
    • Eggs; at room temperature
    • Granulated sugar; do not add too much, the sweet taste is created by the poppy seed sprinkles
    • Milk; lukewarm
    • Active dry yeast
    • Fat; sunflower oil or Canola. You can substitute the oil with butter or pork lard softened at room temperature.
    • Salt; a pinch for taste contrast

    To finish:

    Ingredients for bobalki bread balls sprinkling, inclusive captions.
    • Milk; warm
    • Ground poppy seeds
    • Powdered sugar; some recipes use warm honey
    • Butter; for drizzling

    Size of the baking dish: To bake Bobalki, I used a 9x13-inch baking pan. If you bake Bobalki with the amount of ingredients listed in the recipe card below, this size will work well for you.

    ➜ How to make Bobalki

    STEP 1: Heat about half a cup of milk until it is lukewarm, not hot. Stir in half a teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of flour and the yeast. Let the yeast starter rise in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes.

    Making yeast starter.
    Yeast starter in a green mug.

    STEP 2: Put the flour in a bowl, add the rest of the lukewarm milk, raised yeast starter, an egg and the rest of the sugar. Knead briefly. Then add the fat and salt and knead until smooth.

    MY TIP: I let the dough knead in a stand mixer with a hook. The result is always perfect, saving me a lot of effort and time. I knead on speed 3 for 10 minutes.

    STEP 3: Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.

    Bobalki dough, state before and after rising.

    STEP 4: Turn the raised dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Divide into three equal-sized pieces and roll into strands about ¾ inch thick.

    Rolling a strand of raised dough to make bobalki.

    STEP 5: Cut the strands into pieces of the same size. Roll each piece into a ball between your palms. Leave the formed dough balls on the work surface.

    Shaping bobalki balls from cut pieces of yeast dough.

    TIP: To save time, skip the step of shaping the individual pieces of dough into balls. The shapes may not be as uniform after baking, but their taste won't suffer.

    STEP 6: Cover the dough balls with a tea towel and leave to rise for 15-20 minutes.

    Shaped bobalki balls before rising, partly covered with tea towel.

    STEP 7: Pour about a tablespoon of sunflower or canola oil into the baking dish or cookie sheet. Carefully take each ball in your hand (they should be nice and fluffy) and roll them in the oil on all sides.

    Start placing the balls in the pan. They don't have to be close together; leave a little space between them.

    Putting raised balls into a baking dish, rolling them in oil.

    TIP: You don't need to line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As I describe, it is just enough to dip the balls in oil on all sides. Personally tested, it works!

    STEP 8: Bake in oven preheated to 400°F/200°C ( upper and lower heat) for 15 minutes or until Bobalki surface turns golden brown.

    Baked bobalki balls in a baking dish.

    STEP 9: Let cool for a while. Then separate the individual balls and transfer them to a large deep bowl.

    Transfering baked bobalki bread balls from baking dish to a white bowl.

    ➜ Serving

    Before serving, pour hot milk over bobalki – the bread balls will soak up the milk. Sprinkle with ground poppy seeds whisked with powdered sugar. Finally, drizzle with melted butter and stir until combined.

    Serve as a warm, sweet dessert by spooning portions out of the large bowl and into small serving bowls.

    Pouring hot milk over bobalki balls in a bowl.
    Sprinkling bobalki balls with powdered sugar and ground poppy seeds.

    Slovaks often prepare poppy seed bobalki for both Christmas and Easter!

    ➜ How to store & reheat Bobalki

    Like any yeasted pastry, Bobalki bread loses some softness the next day. Pouring hot milk over it always helps to make the balls beautifully soft again.

    I recommend serving individual portions directly in a small bowl if you have only a few eaters. Take a handful of bobalki, pour hot milk over them, sprinkle with poppy seeds and sugar and drizzle with butter.

    Slovak sweet bobalki balls sprinkled with poppy seeds, served in a bowl.

    Cover the remaining bobalki balls (not soaked in milk) with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator, and use in about 3-4 days.

    To reheat the bobalki, pour hot milk over them and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Alternatively, you can microwave them for a while.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • Brushing the raised balls with oil will ensure they will separate nicely after baking and not tear.
    • Bobalki balls are not very sweet. That's why in some regions of Slovakia they are prepared on the salty side with sauerkraut.
    • In the old days, bobalki with poppy seeds was placed in a large bowl in the middle of the table, and everyone scooped into their bowl as much as they could eat.

    More Slovak recipes:

    • Paska bread (Slovak Easter bread)
    • Slovak nut roll

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Slovak sweet bobalki balls sprinkled with poppy seeds, served in a bowl.

    Slovak Bobalki Recipe

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Slovak Christmas wouldn’t be complete without Bobalki bread! These oven-baked balls, sprinkled with poppy seeds, are packed with delicious flavor and are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.
    5 from 2 votes
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    Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
    Rising time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Total Time: 2 hours hrs 8 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 portions

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    Yeast starter:

    • ½ cup warm milk 110-115°F (42°C)
    • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast

    Yeast dough:

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 egg
    • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
    • ⅓ cup warm milk 110-115°F (42°C)
    • 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil (or canola)
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    Finishing:

    • 1 cup ground poppy seeds
    • 4 heaped Tablespoons powdered sugar
    • ½ cup hot milk
    • 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter melted

    Misc.:

    • 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil to dip the balls when placing them in a baking dish

    Instructions 

    • Yeast starter: Stir 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast into ½ cup warm milk. Add 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, mixing well to eliminate any visible lumps. Let it activate in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. A light brown, bubbly foam should appear on the surface.
    • Yeast dough: Put 2 cups all-purpose flour in a bowl, add ⅓ cup warm milk, activated yeast starter, 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar. Knead briefly. Then add 2 Tablespoons sunflower oil and ⅛ teaspoon salt and knead until smooth.
    • Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and leave it to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in volume.
    • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Divide into three equal-sized pieces and roll into strands about ¾ inch thick.
    • Cut the strands into pieces of the same size. Roll each piece into a ball between your palms. Leave the formed dough balls on the work surface.
    • Cover the dough balls with a tea towel and leave to rise for 15-20 minutes.
    • Pour 1 Tablespoon sunflower oil into the baking dish or cookie sheet. Take each ball in your hand (they should be nice and fluffy) and gently roll them in the oil on all sides.
    • Start placing the balls in the pan. They don't have to be close together; leave a little space between them.
    • Bake in oven preheated to 400 °F for 15 minutes or until Bobalki surface turns golden brown.
    • Let cool for a while. Then separate the individual balls and transfer them to a large deep bowl.
    • Poppy seed topping: Pour ½ cup hot milk over the Bobalki, then sprinkle them with 1 cup ground poppy seeds mixed with 4 heaped Tablespoons powdered sugar. Finally, drizzle with 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter for a finishing touch.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 4 generous portions.
    • SERVING: Before serving, pour hot milk over Bobalki – the bread balls will soak up the milk. Sprinkle with ground poppy seeds whisked with powdered sugar. Finally, drizzle with melted butter and stir until combined.
    • Serve as a warm, sweet dessert by spooning portions out of the large bowl and into small serving bowls.
    • Bobalki balls are not very sweet. That's why in some regions of Slovakia they are prepared on the salty side with sauerkraut.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 605kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 465mg | Iron: 6mg
    Servings: 4 portions
    Calories pro serving: 605
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Slovak
    Keyword: christmas, Poppy seed recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Comments

    1. Sandra says

      December 11, 2023 at 12:54 pm

      Growing up we made the bobalki dough almost the same, but after baked in over, we boiled/drained them and mixed with buttered fried sauerkraut …so good…one of our Christmas Eve favorites. And Pierogies (Pirohy) of course.

      Reply
    2. MB says

      March 31, 2024 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      My mom baked the bobalki a few days before the holiday and let them dry in the breadbox. The day of the meal she soaked them for a good long time, and boy were they good! Glad to see this recipe, I'll have to try it. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        April 01, 2024 at 5:26 pm

        Thanks a lot for your kind words! I totally agree; bobalki is a fantastic food. Thanks for sharing your mom's tip too!

        Reply
    3. Cindy says

      December 18, 2024 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Our family is from eastern Slovakia. This recipe is very close to ours. We eat bobalky on Christmas Eve with some covered in a honey poppyseed mixture and some with sauerkraut and onions. We soften them in boiling water instead of hot milk though. Thank you for publishing this recipe and keeping the tradition alive.

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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