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    Home » Desserts

    Czech Pastry

    Published: Nov 25, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    Nothing beats the flavor of a freshly baked pastry. And the Czechs are crazy about pastries! With a cup of coffee for breakfast, a snack, or even a quick dinner, a piece of sweet kolach or strudel serves as a satisfying treat everywhere. In this article, I'll go over some of the most popular types of sweet pastries in Czech cuisine.

    Czech pastries arranged on a desk.

    I present many of these goodies in separate articles on my blog. I added the link to the recipe below each photo; feel free to click and explore each recipe in detail!

    Table of Contents hide
    Koláč (Kolach)
    Vázaný koláč (Tied kolach)
    Vdolek
    Loupáček
    Šáteček (Turnover)
    Mazanec
    Štrúdl, závin (Strudel or Roll)
    Vánočka
    Buchty
    Kobliha
    Ještědka
    Skořicový šnek
    Trdelník
    Kohoutí hřebeny (Rooster combs)

    Koláč (Kolach)

    Two Czech kolaches, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Czech kolache

    Probably the most famous representative of Czech bakeries. Traditional koláč is always round in shape, with various fillings in the middle, most often poppy seed, cottage cheese, or plum jam. The surface of the cake may be decorated with almonds, raisins, or sprinkled with streusel topping, called drobenka or posypka.

    The classic koláč is about the size of your palm. If it's smaller, it's named a koláček.

    Fun fact: 1 piece is called koláč (kolach), while 2 and more pieces are koláče (kolache). The word kolaches is the American version of the plural, not used in the Czech Republic because it is essentially a double plural.

    Vázaný koláč (Tied kolach)

    Czech vazany kolac pastry, served on a plate.

    A type of cake that is not round but square. A square-shaped piece of dough is covered with filling in the middle, and the sides are folded over it. A precise baker also sprinkles this pastry with crumble topping. The Czech call this kind of kolac vazany, which could be freely translated as tied or folded.

    Vdolek

    Czech vdolek pastry, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Czech vdolky

    Made from yeast dough, a vdolek (or vdolky, plural) belongs to the popular Czech sweet pastries, either fried in fat or baked in the oven. When finished, it is covered with povidla plum jam and then topped with a cap of cream cheese filling.

    Loupáček

    Czech loupacek pastry, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Loupacek

    A favorite sweet pastry that children love when spread with butter and jam, or snacked on with yogurt. Loupáček is baked from yeast dough, made like a roll, and bent into the shape of a crescent. Before putting it in the oven, brush a loupáček with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

    The other Czech word for loupáček is makovka.

    Šáteček (Turnover)

    Czech satecek pastry, served on a plate.

    A simple pastry shape filled with a sweet filling. It is made from different types of dough; the one you see in the picture is made from puff pastry.

    Mazanec

    Czech mazanec Easter bread, in small version, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Mazanec

    Mazanec is a Czech Easter bread made from rich yeast dough. The mazanec in the photo is a miniature version. Before baking, traditional mazanec (regular size) is cut into a cross shape on the surface.

    Štrúdl, závin (Strudel or Roll)

    Two slices of a cream cheese roll, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Easy apple strudel

    While the word Strudel is of German origin but commonly used in the Czech Republic, the Czech alternative is závin. Czech strudel is most often filled with grated or sliced apples, a filling of poppy seeds, or cream cheese (tvaroh). 

    Vánočka

    Two slices of vanocka, Czech Christmas bread, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Vanocka or houska bread

    Delicious buttery pastry, traditionally baked at Christmas. It is a braided sweet bread, with a rich addition of almonds and raisins. In the past, vánočka was called a houska, which can be confusing nowadays because today's Czechs know a completely different type of savory pastry as a houska.

    Buchty

    Czech buchta pastry with poppy seed filling, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Buchty buns

    No one can bake better buchty than mom or grandma! Buchty buns are sweet brioche-type pastries with various fillings, often made of ground poppy seeds, plum jam, cheese, or fruit. The buchty buns are square, which is why they are sometimes called bricks.

    This pastry also appears in classic Czech fairy tales, when a bunch of buchty buns is given by moms to their sons who go out into the world to gain some experience.

    Kobliha

    Czech kobliha pastry, cut into halves, served on a plate.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Koblihy

    Yum! Round beauty with fruit filling (in Czech marmalade or jam), fried in fat. Finally, the kobliha needs to be properly sugared on its surface! Czech kobliha is similar to pastries like donuts, beignets, or Berliners.

    Ještědka

    Jestedka pastry roll filled with poppy seed, served on a plate.

    Ještědka is a sweet pastry roll filled with poppy seeds and sprinkled with drobenka crumbs. It is a regional specialty from the region where I live. It got its name from the Ještěd mountain, looming above the city of Liberec.

    Skořicový šnek

    Czech skoricovy snek pastry, served on a plate.

    The best translation of this pastry's name is "cinnamon snail," known in the American world as cinnamon rolls. This pastry is probably not typically Czech, also concerning the icing, which is not common for Czech pastries.

    Trdelník

    Trdelnik recipe.

    ➜ Get the recipe: Trdelnik

    In Prague, the Czech capital, and other major Czech cities, trdelník is offered by vendors in street stalls. Trdelník appears to be particularly popular with tourists, both from abroad and from the Czech Republic. An interesting way of making this pastry is to bake it right on the street over hot coals.

    Kohoutí hřebeny (Rooster combs)

    kohoutí hřebeny recipe

    ➜ Get the recipe: Kohoutí hřebeny

    Made from puff pastry and with various sweet fillings, this pastry tastes not only good but also looks beautiful. Making it can be a little tricky, but with just a little care, you'll wow your guests with this tasty goodness when they pop in for a talk and a cup of coffee.

    If you visit a local bakery in the Czech Republic, you will discover a wonderful world of classically shaped pastries, as well as modern delicacies that have come to us from neighboring countries.

    I believe that whatever piece you choose will melt on your tongue and leave you with a pleasant memory!

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    More Czech Dessert Recipes

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    • Yeast Bundt Cake with Poppy Seed Filling
    • Puff Pastry with Cream Cheese Filling
    • Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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