• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cook Like Czechs
  • Recipe Index
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Bread Recipes

    Rohlíky Czech Bread Rolls

    Published: Jan 10, 2021 · Modified: Feb 23, 2023 by Petra Kupská

    Jump to Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 2.1Kshares

    This is a recipe for freshly baked rohliky, Czech favorite breakfast bread rolls. Made from yeast dough, these homemade rohliky are feather-light and melt in your mouth!

    Baked Czech rohliky served on a kitchen towel.

    This is a new version of the rohliky recipe, posted in February 2023. The original recipe, published in January 2021, can be found HERE.

    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ What are Czech rohliky
    ➜ Pronunciation
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ How to make rohliky
    ➜ Serving
    ➜ Storage
    Rohlíky Czech Bread Rolls

    ➜ What are Czech rohliky

    Rohlik is a type of white bread that can be straight or crescent-shaped, and it is probably the most common pastry in any Czech grocery store. The Czechs consume rohliky (plural) for breakfast, snacks, or a quick dinner.

    Rohliky rolls are best served fresh with butter. Add jam or honey if you have a sweet tooth. Simply top your rolls with salami, ham, or a slice of cheese to make them savory.

    The crust of a well-made rohlik is golden and crispy, while the inside is super soft and spongy. The top is dusted with coarse salt, caraway seeds, or poppy seeds. Some rolls have no sprinkles on the surface for those who prefer a more neutral flavor.

    Homemade, freshly baked rohlik 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

    If you are wondering how to pronounce the word "rohlíky", I have recorded a short audio clip for you. I'm a native speaker, so you will hear Czech firsthand!

    ➜ Ingredients

    Ingredients for Czech rohliky, inclusive captions.

    To make Czech rohliky, you will need the following:

    • Warm water; no milk, please
    • Active dry yeast; or fresh. I have had equally good results with both types of yeast.
    • Sugar; a little, to activate the yeast
    • All-purpose flour
    • Salt
    • Oil; either sunflower or canola. If you have access to pork lard (sadlo), feel free to use it instead of oil. The lard should be soft, not stiff, just out of the fridge. The fat will take care of the softness of the rolls.

    Sprinkles: whole caraway seeds mixed with salt, or whole poppy seeds

    Sprinkles for Czech rohliky rolls: caraway and poppy seeds, salt. Inclusive captions.

    Next, you need water, or water mixed with a little egg, to brush the rohliky rolls.

    Note on recipe: There are several recipes for Czech rohliky. This one is special because it is made with double-raised dough. Such a procedure ensures that the roll is very soft and does not dry out so quickly.

    ➜ How to make rohliky

    The exact amounts of ingredients for the first and second yeast dough, as well as detailed instructions, are listed on the recipe card at the end of this article.

    STEP 1: First yeast dough: Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. Put the flour in a bowl and mix it with the dried yeast, or crumble in the fresh yeast. Pour in the sweetened water and mix to make a thicker mixture. Leave it in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.

    Making yeast dough for Czech rohliky.
    Yeast dough rising in a white bowl with a wooden spoon.

    ⤍ Learn how to make dough rise in the oven.

    STEP 2: Second yeast dough: After 45 minutes, add oil, salt, and remaining flour to a bowl with lukewarm water. Mix first with a wooden spoon, then turn the mixture out onto a work surface and work by hand into a soft, elastic dough. If too sticky, dust it with a little flour and incorporate it into the dough.

    Making yeast dough for Czech rohliky.

    Allow the dough to rise for another hour, or until it has roughly doubled in volume.

    Soft dough for Czech rohliky, before rising.
    Raised yeast dough for Bohemian rohliky.

    STEP 3: Divide the raised dough into two halves. Roll each with a rolling pin into a thicker 12-inch pancake, then divide it into four parts—triangles. Roll out each triangle a little more, and from the wider side to the tip, roll it up. Place the rolled rohlik, tip down, on a sheet lined with baking paper.

    Making Czech rohliky rolls, rolling up the pieces of dough.

    TIP: If you like, bend the rolls slightly into a crescent shape.

    STEP 4: Continue until all of the rohliky have been rolled up. Place them on a baking sheet and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.

    Czech rohliky bread rolls arranged on a baking sheet.

    STEP 5: Brush the raised rolls with egg wash, consisting of water whisked with a bit of egg. Sprinkle the middle of the rolls with toppings: poppy seeds, caraway seeds, salt, sesame seeds, or flax seeds.

    Czech rohliky bread rolls sprinkled with poppy seeds and caraway seeds on top.

    STEP 6: Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C), with the dials set to lower and upper heat. Bake the rolls for 10–13 minutes, until the surface turns golden brown.

    Baked rohliky rolls on a baking sheet.

    ➜ 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.

    Czech rohliky bread rolls served on a kitchen towel.

    ➜ Storage

    Fresh rohliky taste best the day they are baked. On the other hand, these rolls are better than regular ones because they stay fresh longer.

    Wrap them in a cloth towel or place them in a plastic bag.

    Rohliky rolls also freeze perfectly. After baking and cooling, place them in the freezer as soon as possible. They will taste freshly baked when you take them out of the freezer and thaw them. Freeze them in resealable plastic bags.

    More Czech bread recipes:

    • Veka bread – perfect for Czech open-faced sandwiches (chlebicky)
    • Housky braided rolls
    • Czech rye bread
    • Onion bread rolls

    Tried this recipe?

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

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    Czech rohliky bread rolls served on a kitchen towel.

    Rohlíky Czech Bread Rolls

    This is a recipe for freshly baked rohliky, Czech favorite breakfast bread rolls. Made from yeast dough, these homemade rohliky are feather-light and melt in your mouth!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 pieces
    Calories: 267kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Authentic Czech Food

    Ingredients

    First yeast dough:

    • ½ cup warm water (120 ml)
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast or 15 g fresh yeast
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)

    Second yeast dough:

    • 2 Tablespoons oil canola or sunfloer
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour (390 g)
    • ⅔ cup warm water (160 ml)

    Sprinkles:

    • salt, caraway seeds, poppy seeds to your taste preferences

    Egg brush:

    • ¼ cup water lukewarm
    • ¼ egg

    Instructions

    • First yeast dough: Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. Put the flour in a bowl and mix it with the dried yeast, or crumble in the fresh yeast. Pour in the sweetened water and mix to make a thicker mixture. Leave it in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
    • Second yeast dough: After 45 minutes, add oil, salt, and remaining flour to a bowl with lukewarm water. Mix first with a wooden spoon, then turn the mixture out onto a work surface and work by hand into a soft, elastic dough. If too sticky, dust it with a little flour and incorporate it into the dough.
    • Allow the dough to rise for another hour, or until it has roughly doubled in volume.
    • Divide the raised dough into two halves. Roll each with a rolling pin into a thicker 12-inch pancake, then divide it into four parts—triangles. Roll out each triangle a little more, and from the wider side to the tip, roll it up. Place the rolled rohlik, tip down, on a sheet lined with baking paper.
    • Continue until all of the rohliky have been rolled up. Place them on a baking sheet and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
    • Brush the raised rolls with egg wash, consisting of water whisked with a bit of egg. Sprinkle the middle of the rolls with toppings: poppy seeds, caraway seeds, salt, sesame seeds, or flax seeds.
    • Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C), with the dials set to lower and upper heat. Bake the rolls for 10–13 minutes, until the surface turns golden brown.

    Notes

    • Makes 8 rohliky rolls.
    • 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 some 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.
    • STORAGE: Fresh rohliky taste best the day they are baked. On the other hand, these rolls are better than regular ones because they stay fresh longer. Wrap them in a cloth towel or place them in a plastic bag.
    • FREEZING: The rohliky also successfully freeze. After baking and cooling, place them in the freezer as soon as possible. They will taste freshly baked when you take them out of the freezer and thaw them. Freeze them in resealable plastic bags.
     

    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

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 3mg
    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.
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 2.1Kshares

    More from Czech Bread Recipes

    • Sliced puff pastry strudel filled with sauerkraut and bacon.
      Puff Pastry Sauerkraut Strudel
    • Slovak pork crackling biscuits (pagáče) served on a plate.
      Flaky Pork Crackling Biscuits
    • Baked rye rolls on a baking sheet.
      Rye Bread Rolls (Czech Dalamanky)
    • Baked bread rolls on a brown wooden board.
      Onion Bread Rolls

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alexandra

      December 06, 2022 at 10:25 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        December 11, 2022 at 4:35 pm

        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!

        Reply
    2. Betty

      December 25, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      simple recipe to follow, just didn't like all the pop up ads. thank you

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        December 29, 2022 at 8:07 am

        Thank you for your comment, Betty.

        Reply
    3. William Milan Uhlarik

      February 04, 2023 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    4. Editra

      February 13, 2023 at 3:05 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com

        July 14, 2023 at 12:19 pm

        Dekuji Vam za mily komentar a jsem moc rada, ze se Vam stranka a fotky libi. Hodne stesti se zitrejsimi rohliky!

        Reply
    5. Pat Myers

      August 09, 2023 at 1:01 pm

      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!

      Reply

    Leave a star rating and review or ask a question! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating




    Primary Sidebar

    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.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Czech oyster mushroom soup served with a slice of rye bread.
      Spicy Oyster Mushroom Soup
    • Czech Kyselica soup served in a bowl.
      Wallachian Kyselica Soup
    • Puffed pancake in a skillet, sprinkled with powdered sugar, with blueberries.
      Sweet Puffed Pancake (Czech Svítek)
    • Tomato and cheese salad in a bowl served with crunchy bread.
      Tomato and Cheese Salad With Creamy Dressing

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    All Things Czech

    • Czech Recipes
    • Czech Republic
    • Conversions U.S. to metric

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for new recipes, stories and more Czech stuff

    Useful Links

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 CookLikeCzechs.com