Let's talk about podvodnice, an old Czech Christmas cookie that Bohemian grannies used to bake years ago. Many Czech families still bake it at Christmas; lots of modern homemakers have actually rediscovered podvodnice and added it to their favorite sweets list. I guarantee you will love them too!
What Is Podvodnice?
Podvodnice is an old-fashioned Czech cookie baked at Christmas. The base consists of an easy 3-ingredient yeast dough, leavened under cold water! Various small shapes are cut off the dough, then baked and coated in powdered sugar as a final step.
Podvodnice cookies are perfectly tender and taste best when left to rest for several days after baking.
➤ The other Czech names for this cookie are hastrmanci, vodnici, potapky.
The word podvodnice means "under water" and refers to the fact that the dough does not rise in the warmth of the air but is submerged in cold water.
MY TIP: Try out these Czech pracny cookies, they taste incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
To make podvodnice, you'll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter; take it out of the refrigerator about half an hour to an hour in advance to soften
- Active dry yeast
- Coarse sugar; a little, to help activate the yeast
- Milk; lukewarm, to make a yeast starter
Next, get powdered sugar to coat the baked cookies. Mix with vanilla sugar if you have one for a better aroma.
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Instructions with Photos
STEP 1: Stir the sugar and dry yeast into the lukewarm milk. Mix with a spoon and leave in a warm place to rise for just 10-15 minutes. Once bubbles form on the surface, that’s a sign that the starter is ready to use.
STEP 2: Put the flour in a mixing bowl, add the softened butter pieces, and pour in the activated yeast. Work on the countertop into a smooth dough. Start with a fork, then use your hands.
STEP 3: Shape the dough into a ball. Put it in a bowl of cold water; the dough must be completely submerged. Place the bowl with the dough in a fridge and leave it to rise for two hours.
STEP 4: After two hours, take the dough out of the water and pat dry. Divide into two pieces and work each one with your hands until the dough softens a little. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) – not too thin!
STEP 5: Cut out small shapes from the rolled dough. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
STEP 6: Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 360 °F / 180 °C (upper and lower heating) for 15 minutes. The dough will not get too golden on the surface but will puff up slightly and will be wonderfully tender after baking.
STEP 7: Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still hot.
Storage
Stack the podvodnice cookies in a clean paper box that you have lined with baking paper. Cover the top with a paper napkin and close the box with a lid. Store in a cool, dry place.
Freshly baked cookies are tender and will soften even more over time. They taste best a few days after baking. Prepare them about a week or two before Christmas if you intend to serve podvodnice cookies on the Christmas table.
Useful Tips
- Cut the dough into smaller shapes; this way, the cookies will look the best.
- Work the dough quickly when rolling it out. The softer it is, the more flour you will need to dust it with, and the cookies will be stiff.
More Christmas cookies:
Recipe card
Podvodnice Czech Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ stick (165 g) unsalted butter let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature
- ¼ tsp coarse sugar
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp milk lukewarm
For coating:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Stir the sugar and dry yeast into the lukewarm milk. Mix with a spoon and leave in a warm place to rise for just 10-15 minutes. Once bubbles form on the surface, that’s a sign that the starter is ready to use.
- Put the flour in a mixing bowl, add the softened butter pieces, and pour the activated yeast. Work on the countertop into a smooth dough. Start with a fork, then use your hands.
- Shape the dough into a ball. Put it in a bowl of cold water; the dough must be completely submerged. Place the bowl with the dough in a fridge and leave it to rise for two hours.
- After two hours, take the dough out of the water and pat dry. Divide into two pieces and work each one with your hands until the dough softens a little. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) – not too thin!
- Cut out small shapes from the rolled dough. Transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 360 °F / 180 °C (upper and lower heating) for 15 minutes. The dough will not get too golden on the surface but will puff up slightly and will be wonderfully tender after baking.
- Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still hot.
Notes
- Makes about 70-80 smaller cookies.
- STORAGE: Stack the podvodnice cookies in a clean paper box that you have lined with baking paper. Cover the top with a paper napkin and close the box with a lid. Store in a cool, dry place.
- Freshly baked cookies are tender and will soften even more over time. They taste best a few days after baking. Prepare them about a week or two before Christmas if you intend to serve podvodnice cookies on the Christmas table.
- Work the dough quickly when rolling it out. The softer it is, the more flour you will need to dust it with, and the cookies will be stiff.
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
Julia
My grandma, who arrived in America from Bohemia in the 1930s always used to make these. The cookies may seem a little complicated, but they're very easy to make for more experienced cooks such as me. And they taste great!