Do you want to know what the most famous Czech white bread is? The answer is short and clear: housky, braided bread rolls! Golden crispy beauties raised light and airy yet with the substance inside.
Housky Meaning
Housky bread rolls are white Czech bread made from leavened dough. The risen dough is divided and rolled out in small strands, which are braided similar way to plaited hair.
Housky rolls taste the best right from the oven with butter and jam or salami and some cheese.
MY TIP: Try another Czech white bread, called rohlíky (bread rolls).
Do Not Confuse Houska and Vánočka
Don’t mistake houska for vánočka. Nowadays, when we Czechs say "housky" (plural) or "houska" (one piece), we mean small salty braided white bread, while vánočka is a type of sweet Christmas bread with raisins and almonds.
Back in the 19. century, Bohemians used to call houska what is today called vánočka. Czech emigrants brought then this "houska" recipe to the USA.
Later, people in the Czech Republic started calling the Christmas bread with the term vánočka, while the descendants of the Czech emigrants still call it houska, a name they inherited from their ancestors.
About This Recipe
The classic Czech houska bread roll is a very common pastry. Bakers make it early in the morning so that the rolls appear soft and with a crispy crust on store shelves.
Housky rolls are intended for immediate consumption. The dough contains almost no fat, so the bread rolls are stiff and dry by the next day.
This is an original recipe improved by adding one ingredient and has become a big hit among Czech home bakers! The secret ingredient is mayonnaise, making sure that the roll is soft and supple even the next day.
Give the recipe a try, and you will be surprised how delicious the rolls are!
Ingredients
Let me assure you: Making homemade braided housky rolls from scratch is very easy. You need a few ingredients, know the proper procedure, and then make the bread rolls sufficiently risen.
To make Czech housky braided rolls, you need:
- All-purpose flour
- Mayonaisse; plain. The mayonnaise from Hellmans proved to be the best for me. Take mayo out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Water; warm. If you want a milder flavor, use whole milk. However, I find that bread dough made with water has a more authentic taste.
- Active dry yeast; or fresh yeast
- Coarse sugar; to help activate the yeast
✅ You'll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Egg wash:
For a better shine, brush the buns with egg wash before baking. I used a beaten egg mixed with two or three tablespoons of water to make them shine less pronounced.
If you don't have an egg available, feel free to just brush the braided rolls with warm water.
The egg wash also will make the topping stick better to the surface of the housky rolls; see below.
Topping:
The Czechs sprinkle the buns before baking them:
- Poppy seeds; whole
- Caraway seeds mixed with rough salt
- Sesame seeds; it is also a good option
⇢ Learn more about herbs and spices used in Czech cuisine
Instructions with Photos
STEP 1: Pour lukewarm water into a cup, add some sugar and active dry yeast. Stir, and let it stand in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes until it forms a foam on the surface.
STEP 2: Add flour, salt, mayonnaise, and yeast activated in water in a large bowl. Using a fork, coarsely mix the wet ingredients with the flour. Turn out onto a floured surface and work into a smooth dough with your hands.
STEP 3: Put the dough in a clean bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
MY TIP: I always put the dough in the oven with a pot of hot water at the bottom. I close the oven and let the dough rise in a moist, warm environment. Success guaranteed!
⤍ Learn how to make dough rise in the oven.
STEP 4: After 40 minutes, place the dough on a work surface and knead briefly. Divide the dough into five equal-sized pieces. Further, divide each dough into three parts and roll them into strands. The length of one strand should be about as long as your hand from the palm to the end of your middle finger.
STEP 5: Braid the three strands together. Transfer the braided bun rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
STEP 6: Leave the bread rolls to rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes. I put the baking sheet back in the oven, where there is a pot of hot water.
STEP 7: Prepare the egg wash to brush on the rolls. Whisk a whole egg in a bowl with a fork. Add two tablespoons of water and whisk again.
STEP 8: Lightly brush the risen braided roll with egg wash. Then sprinkle the surface with a modest amount of poppy seeds or caraway seeds mixed with salt.
STEP 9: Preheat oven to 360 °F (180 °C). Move the wire rack to the center of the oven. Place a pot of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to create steam inside. Bake the braided bread rolls in a prepared oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Serving
Serve preferably fresh as a side dish to soup, goulash, or dinner rolls.
Czechs love housky braided bread rolls cut lengthwise, spread with butter and jam or honey. They enjoy them for breakfast or snacks.
You can also eat the bread rolls with salami, hard or cream cheese and a piece of vegetable. Try houska roll with garlic cheese spread or ham spread.
Storage and Freezing
Housky bread rolls are soft the day they are baked. If you don't eat them up, I recommend putting the rolls in a plastic bag and freezing them as soon as they cool. They will keep in the freezer for about three months.
Useful Tips
- Place a pot of hot water in the bottom of the oven while baking. Bread rolls baked in a humid environment have a crispy crust. Make sure the pot does not contain any plastic parts.
- If you have a bread machine or a stand mixer, use them to make the bread dough. It'll save you work!
- There is one funny Czech nursery rhyme about bakers making housky braided rolls. Every Czech kid know it! Here you are: "Pekař peče housky, uždibuje kousky. Pekařka mu pomáhá, uždibují oba dva!"
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Braided Rolls – Czech Housky
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) water warm; or milk
- 1 and ½ tsp active dry yeast
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) mayonnaise plain
- 1 tsp salt
Egg wash:
- ¼ whole egg
- 1 Tbsp water
Topping to your liking:
- 2 tsp poppy seed whole
- 2 tps caraway seeds mixed with rough salt
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Pour lukewarm water into a cup, add some sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir, and let it stand in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes until it forms a foam on the surface.
- Add flour, salt, mayonnaise, and yeast activated in water in a large bowl. Using a fork, coarsely mix the wet ingredients with the flour. Turn out onto a floured surface and work into a smooth dough with your hands.
- Put the dough in a clean bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, place the dough on a work surface and knead briefly. Divide the dough into five equal-sized pieces. Further, divide each dough into three parts and roll them into strands. The length of one strand should be about as long as your hand from the palm to the end of your middle finger.
- Braid the three strands together. Transfer the braided bun rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Leave the bread rolls covered with a kitchen tea towel to rise in a warm place for another 40 minutes.
- Prepare egg wash to brush on the rolls. Whisk a whole egg in a bowl with a fork. Add two tablespoons of water and whisk again.
- Lightly brush the risen braided roll with egg wash. Then sprinkle the surface with a modest amount of poppy seeds or caraway seeds mixed with salt.
- Preheat oven to 360 °F (180 °C). Move the wire rack to the center of the oven. Place a pot of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to create steam inside. Bake the braided bread rolls in a prepared oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Makes five palm-sized braided rolls.
- TIP for perfect leavening: I always put the dough in the oven with a pot of hot water at the bottom. I close the oven and let the dough rise in a moist, warm environment. Success guaranteed!
- Serve housky rolls fresh as a side dish to soup, goulash, or dinner rolls.
- STORAGE: Housky bread rolls are soft the day they are baked. If you don't eat them up, I recommend putting the rolls in a plastic bag and freezing them as soon as they cool. They will keep in the freezer for about three months.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
Petra Kupská
Hi Kristyna, the recipe I use to bake housky does not require the yeast starter to be made first. You really do work all the ingredients properly into the dough. Then, I divide the dough into pieces and left them to rise. After housky have been shaped, they are left to rise a second time. Under the recipe, there is a note: you can also leave housky to rise in an oven heated only to 90 °F (30 °C). Be sure to place a bowl of warm water in the oven. Hope this helps, Petra
JUNIOR W
Hello Kristyna, I really like your receipe- you explained it very well.
I was having problem making these Braided Rolls- they would come out
of the oven a bit hard and very golden- because I use the egg yoke & water to make the Egg wash. Plus the bottom of my rolls would be a bit burned. I think baking it with the pot of hot water & on the middle tray will help me. Also your recommended Temp and baking time ,I think will also help- I used to bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes. Next time I will adjust to your recommendations. PS.. you can also achieve quicker rising times using 2 cups of Hot Water in a warm microwave oven. This worked well for me before I saw your method. Now I have two ways to do it. I like my rolls with the same colouring as yours in the photo Thanks.
Petra Kupská
Ahoj, thank you very much for your tips! There are more recipes for Czech braided rolls. These are meant to be eaten quickly, as the basic recipe does not contain much fat. I have started baking the rolls with mayonnaise, which gives the rolls excellent moisture (and flavor). I usually brush them with an egg mixed with little water to create a layer on top that is only slightly golden in color. Anyway, fingers crossed that the rolls get better and better with each of your next attempts! 🙂
Jana
Dekuji za typickou ceskou klasickou housku!
Jsme v Americe a syn rikal, ze jsou jak z pekarstvi od babicky z Pisku.
Vse nejlepsi do Noveho Roku! Krasny blog, fotky a popisy receptu!! ❤
Petra Kupská
Jani, moc dekuji za mily komentar! Ja tenhle recept nedam dopustit, ta majolka je top tajna ingredience, ktera se postara o dlouho vlacnou housticky. Vam vsem take dobry a uspesny novy rok!
Bri
Petro, moc dekuju za recept (a cely blog)! Jsem americanka, ktera bydlela v Praze a moc se mi chybi ceske jidlo a peceni. Tahle houska byla jako kousek Ceske republiky v me kuchyne. Diky moc!
Petra Kupská
Ahoj Bri, moc ti dekuji za mila slova! Pevne verim, ze sis pobyt v Cesku uzila a jsem rada, ze ti recept na housky pripomnel cas straveny v nasi zemi.
Nancy
I am looking forward to making these "Housky". My family always refers to the Vanocka as housky, just as you said. My Great Grandparents came to US in late 19th century to Baltimore and we have long continued the tradition of making the Houska(Vanocki) at both Christmas and Easter, as well as the Lamb cake at Easter.
I enjoy getting your emails and the memories they bring back to me of cooking with my grandmother in her little kitchen in her East Baltimore row house!
Thank you for sharing!
Petra Kupská
Ahoj Nancy, thank you for your nice words! Go ahead and give the "housky" recipe a try, I hope you'll be thrilled! The magic in the recipe lies in the addition of mayonnaise, which keeps the bread moist even the next day. Otherwise, you are right about the confusion over the name "houska" in the community of descendants of Czech immigrants. It took me a while to figure it out myself 🙂 If you make buns, let me know how they turn out!