In the Czech Republic, Rohlíky are a staple found in every grocery store. But nothing beats the taste of freshly baked ones straight from your own oven! This foolproof recipe will give you homemade rohlíky with a lightly crispy crust and a soft, airy interior.
This is a new version of the rohliky recipe, posted in March 2025. The original recipe, published in February 2023, can be found HERE.
➜ What are Czech rohlíky
A rohlík (singular) is a type of white bread that can be straight or crescent-shaped, and it is one of the most common baked goods in the Czech Republic. Czechs enjoy rohlíky (plural) for breakfast, as a snack, or even for a quick dinner.
Rohlíky are best served fresh with butter. If you have a sweet tooth, try them with jam or honey. For a savory option, top them with salami, ham, or a slice of cheese.
A well-made rohlík has a lightly golden, crispy crust and a soft, spongy interior. The top is often sprinkled with a mixture of coarse salt and caraway seeds, or poppy seeds, though some are left plain for those who prefer a more neutral flavor.
Homemade, freshly baked rohlík tastes delicious with this garlic cheese spread or sardine spread. Rohlík is also a perfect accompaniment to Czech deli-style salad with mayo, Pochoutkový salát.
➜ Pronunciation
Wondering how to pronounce "rohlíky"? Listen to my short audio clip—I am a native Czech speaker, so you will hear it firsthand!
➜ Ingredients
✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.
To make Czech rohlíky, you will need the following:
- Warm water– no milk, please. I warm the water to lukewarm—about 100°F (38°C)—to help the dough rise.
- Instant yeast – the best part about this yeast is that it does not need to be pre-activated in liquid. Simply mix it with the other ingredients. If you prefer active dry yeast, you can use that as well. Just dissolve it in about half a cup of lukewarm water (around 100°F/37°C) with a little granulated sugar. Let it sit in a warm place for 10–15 minutes until a foamy layer with bubbles forms on the surface. Similarly, fresh yeast can be crumbled directly into the mixing bowl with other ingredients or activated in warm, slightly sweetened water before use.
- All-purpose flour – in the Czech Republic, I use so-called hladká mouka. Read about Czech flour vs all-purpose flour.
- Salt
- Oil – either sunflower or canola. If you have access to pork lard (vepřové sádlo), feel free to use it instead of oil. Make sure the lard is soft, not cold from the fridge. It helps keep the rolls soft for longer.
- Milk – or light cream. For brushing the rolls before putting them in the oven. The traditional way to brush Czech rohlíky is with plain water, but for a more golden crust, a milk wash works beautifully. Milk contains natural sugars (lactose) that caramelize during baking, enhancing the crust’s color.
Sprinkles: whole caraway seeds mixed with salt, or whole poppy seeds. You can also leave the rolls plain without any topping.
➜ How to make rohlíky
New to yeast dough? Measure ingredients on a kitchen scale for the best results. Switch to metric mode in the recipe card below!
Preparing the dough
STEP 1: Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and combine it with the instant yeast. Add the water, oil, and salt. Mix the dough using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
STEP 2: Start on low speed to allow the ingredients to combine, then gradually increase to medium-high and knead for 8 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky—that is perfectly fine!
STEP 3: Once kneaded, use a plastic dough scraper (affiliate link) to transfer the dough into a clean bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap.
I like using my Tescoma proofer, but another great option is to place the uncovered dough in the oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom—the warmth and humidity work wonders!
For perfect dough rising, I recommend this simple ✅ Dough Proofer by Czech brand Tescoma (affiliate link). I use it myself and am very satisfied!
⇢ Read How to let the dough rise quickly in the oven.
STEP 4: Let the dough rise until doubled in volume (about 1.5 hours). After 45 minutes, give it one or two kneads with a wooden spoon to deflate—it helps the dough rise better!
Watch this quick video where I show how to shape and bake the rohlíky!
Shaping the dough
STEP 5: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Again, I use a plastic dough scraper (affiliate link) to prevent sticking. If too sticky, dust the top with a little flour and fold—this helps the dough firm up.
STEP 6: Divide the dough into equal pieces, ideally using a kitchen scale. Each piece should weigh about 3 ounces (85 g).
STEP 7: Roll each portion into a small ball and let them rest on a lightly floured surface, covered with a clean tea towel, for 10 minutes.
Shaping the rohlíky
STEP 8: Take a dough ball and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a triangle, with one tip slightly longer. Roll the dough toward the longer tip, applying light pressure while gently pulling the sides outward with your fingers. The finished roll should be about 7–8 inches (17–20 cm) long. You can bend it slightly if you like.
STEP 9: Place the shaped rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper seam side down, leaving about 1.5 inches (4 cm) of space between them. I use a 13x18-inch (32x45 cm) baking sheet, which fits five rolls.
Topping & final rise
STEP 10: Brush each roll with whole milk or light cream for a golden crust. Then, sprinkle the center with a mixture of coarse salt and caraway seeds or just poppy seeds. You can also leave them plain if preferred.
STEP 11: Let the rolls rise covered for 30 minutes. Again, I proof them in the oven with a pot of hot water at the bottom, just like I described before.
Baking the rohlíky
STEP 12: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) using the conventional (no fan) setting. Place a small pot of hot water in one corner of the oven to create steam—this helps achieve the nice crust.
STEP 13: Bake the rolls for 13 minutes, one baking sheet at a time. Once baked, transfer rohlíky to a cooling rack and let them cool.
➜ Serving
The baked rolls are delicious for breakfast or as a snack, topped with butter and jam, as well as covered with cheese, ham, or some tasty spread.
The rolls are delicious as a side dish, especially with any hearty soup or roast meat. You can cut the rolls into rounds and serve them as finger food (Czech jednohubky) at parties and family gatherings.
Cut older rolls into cubes and use them to make bread dumplings or bread croutons for soup. Grind the well-dried rolls into homemade breadcrumbs.
➜ Storage
Fresh rohlíky taste best the day they are baked. Hovewer, in my experience, these rolls stay soft for up to three days. It is best to store them in a plastic bag or wrap them in a clean cloth towel.
Rohlíky rolls freeze well. After baking and cooling, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them as soon as possible. Once thawed, they will taste freshly baked.
More Czech bread recipes:
- Veka bread – perfect for Czech open-faced sandwiches (chlebíčky)
- Housky braided rolls
- Czech rye bread
- Onion bread rolls
- Sausage bunn rolls – klobásoví zajíčci
Tried this recipe?
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Rohlíky Czech Bread Rolls
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Rohlíky dough
- 4 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup water warm, 100°C/38°C
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ Tablespoon canola oil (or sunflower oil / pork lard)
To finish
- ¼ cup whole milk as a wash (or light cream)
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds for topping
- ½ Tablespoon caraway seeds for topping
- ½ teaspoon salt for topping
Instructions
- Sift 4 ¼ cup all-purpose flour into a bowl and mix with 1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast. Add 1 ½ cup water (warm—see ingredient instructions), 2 ½ Tablespoon canola oil, and 1 ½ teaspoon salt, then knead in a mixer with a dough hook. Start on low speed, then increase to medium-high and knead for at least 8 minutes. The dough might be slightly sticky—that is fine!
- Transfer to a clean bowl using a dough scraper and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours. After 45 minutes, give it one or two kneads with a wooden spoon to deflate—it helps it rise better!
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, using a dough scraper to prevent sticking. If too sticky, lightly flour the top of the dough and fold it to firm it up.
- Divide into equal 3-ounce (85 g) pieces, best using a kitchen scale. Roll into balls and let them rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten a dough ball into a triangle, extending one tip slightly. Roll toward the longer tip, applying light pressure and gently pulling the sides outward. The roll should be 7–8 inches (17–20 cm) long—bend slightly if desired.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down, spacing 1.5 inches (4 cm) apart. A 13×18-inch (32×45 cm) sheet fits five rolls.
- Brush rolls with milk or light cream for a golden crust. Sprinkle with a mixture of coarse salt and caraway seeds, poppy seeds, or leave plain.
- Let the rolls rise, covered, for 30 minutes. I like to proof the rohlíky in the oven with a pot of hot water at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to
450 °F without a fan. Place a small pot of hot water in one corner of the oven to create steam. - Bake one sheet at a time for 13 minutes. Transfer the rohlíky to a rack to cool.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 10 rohlíky rolls.
- Enjoy the rolls for breakfast with butter and jam or topped with cheese, ham, or spreads. They pair well with soups for lunch. Sliced rohlíky make a great base for Czech jednohubky, a popular finger food at all kinds of Czech gatherings.
- Fresh rohlíky taste best the day they are baked. However, in my experience, these rolls stay soft for up to three days. It is best to store them in a plastic bag or wrap them in a clean cloth towel.
- Rohlíky rolls freeze well. After baking and cooling, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them as soon as possible. Once thawed, they will taste freshly baked.
- Use older rolls for bread dumplings, croutons, or homemade strouhanka breadcrumbs!
Alexandra says
Hello,
I think it would be fun to bake this bread to share at work! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Could I freeze the bread and then bake it from frozen, or would you recommend letting the shaped rolls rise on the counter first? Thanks!
Petra Kupská says
Hello Alexandra, thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, I have no experience with freezing unbaked rohliky rolls. However, what does work well is to freeze FRESHLY BAKED rohliky (right after they cool down). They are amazingly soft once thawed!
Sherry Shivley says
My MIL always used saved bacon grease- these are the best rolls in the world!! She pronounced them Rulik. I am so glad I found you- I miss her so. This will be like visiting with her again ❤️
Laura says
Thank you for the recipe! My grandfather's sisters would make these when I would visit in the summers. Your recipes bring back many memories. Looking forward to trying these and many others. 🙂
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Laura, for your kind comment!
Betty says
simple recipe to follow, just didn't like all the pop up ads. thank you
Petra Kupská says
Thank you for your comment, Betty.
William Milan Uhlarik says
Petra, when I saw your recipe for Rohlíky, my mouth started to water. LOL......... I think it has been over 30 years since I have eaten these delicious rolls. My mother and grandmother back home in Chicago used to make them all the time when they were alive, or we could buy them from the Czechoslovak bakeries in the old neighborhood. However, they were not sprinkled with fine white salt but a slightly coarser type of white rock salt that had a very slight crunch to it. I am so glad you also mentioned and posted your recipe for Pochoutkový salát (in Slovak we would call it Pochúťkový šalát) is delicious to spread and eat on Rohlíky. I moved to South Coastal Texas over 15 years ago. Later this month a cousin (sestrenica) from Wisconsin will be visiting. So, thank you very much for giving me ideas of some great meals to make when she visits. S Pánom Bohom.
Editra says
Zitra utestuju Vase rohliky.Zrovna dnes jsem narazil na vasi stranku .Moc pekna a navic mate moc pekne fotky z Vasi pohlednice z Cech.Takove fotky z meho rodiste jsem jeste na internetu nenarazil.Jste sikovna a preju Vam dalsi uzpechy s Vasema strankama. Ed
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Dekuji Vam za mily komentar a jsem moc rada, ze se Vam stranka a fotky libi. Hodne stesti se zitrejsimi rohliky!
Pat Myers says
Could you please explain step #7. “Dials set to upper and lower heat”. I’m confused I want desperately make these. They are a wonderful memory from my childhood as a member of Sokol Tyrs in Cleveland, Ohio!
Viteslav Ksenak says
Mine did not turn out. The first step is not like your picture a liquid mix but rather a solid ball of dough. It did rise to double the size but when I added the Ingredients for the second rise there just was not enough moisture to absorb all the flower and make a smooth dough. Where do you think I went wrong?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Dear Viteslav, I am so sorry to hear about your experience with making rolls. The density of the yeast starter is affected by the type of flour - some are more absorbent, then you need to add more liquid.
Viki says
Rohliky dopadly vyborne; mnohem lepsi nez babisaky. Bydlime v Anglii, a kdyz prijedeme do Prahy za babickou, kluci (6 a 12) rohliky kazdy den a jeste si vezeme pytel zpet. Urcite je zase upeceme, jen se musime zdokonalit v rolovani. Diky moc!
Petra Kupská says
Ó děkuji za tak milý komentář! Rolování kluci zvládnou, myslím, že taková činnost by je i mohla bavit. Moc zdravím z Čech!
SEAN Savage {nee:vavrina} says
I am looking for an even lighter version of your recipe. Vesecky's in Berwyn, Illinois had the best recipe {It's a secret!}. Any suggestions on how to make it lighter. Your recipe is the best I have experimented with, but I am looking for something even lighter. I can experiment if you have any ideas
Klára says
Great recipe! We were missing them on our erasmus in Sweden. I can say that they taste just like our original czech ones. But next time I'll add a bit more salt. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Petra | Cook Like Czechs says
Hi, Klára,
Thanks for the kind words! I know how hard it can be to find some traditional Czech food abroad, so you have to make your own. It's good you did so!
Petra
PS: My son is also currently on an Erasmus in Scotland, and I hope you're enjoying yourselves as much as he does!
Viola says
Jsem z Česka ale nyní žiju v Texasu, takže moc děkuji za recept!!
Rohlíky byly super, akorát mám dotaz. Nevíte proč byly rohlíky zevnitř takové jak neupečené těsto? Z venku do zlatova akorát ten vnitřek nic moc, ale i tak si na nich pochutnám.
Ann Williams says
These remind me of visiting my grandmother when I was little. She was from Kosice in Slovakia.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Wonderful! It must have been special to have those memories with your grandmother. Kosice is such a beautiful place too. I bet the food she made was amazing!
Karl says
I made the Rohlíky. The taste was terrific. Made 3 with poppyseed & 3 with rough salt caraway. My mistake was not rolling the dough thin enough So the rolls were too large. Next time!
Thank you.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Good luck in your baking adventure. Everything needs a practise, I am sure they are going to turn out amazing, next time.