Cook Like Czechs

  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Veka White Wheat Bread

    Published: Jan 4, 2022 · Modified: Jun 3, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 127shares

    Do you like Czech bread? Try Veka, a white baguette-like bread common in Czech stores! I have a simple yeast dough recipe that makes two loaves of soft bread with a crispy golden crust.

    Czech veka white wheat bread slanted slices.

    ➜ What Is Veka Bread?

    Veka is a traditional pastry from the Czech Republic. It has a shape of a long thin loaf. After baking, the bread is cut diagonally into slices.

    Czechs use slices of veka as a base for open-faced sandwiches, richly garnished with ham, cheese, boiled eggs, and potato salad.

    In the US, the closest equivalent to veka is a baguette, known as French bread.

    TIP: Veka bread resembles a shape of Czech bread dumplings, but the preparation of both dishes is different.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Czech veka bread ingredients listed.

    To make Czech veka white bread, you'll need:

    • All-purpose flour
    • Water; lukewarm
    • Dry yeast; just stir into the dough and then knead with lukewarm water. The dough contains only a little fat. It will rise quickly; there is no need to make a yeast starter in advance.
    • Sugar; to activate the yeast
    • Vegetable oil; sunflower or Canola, or try melted (not hot) lard
    • Salt

    Egg wash for veka bread: crack an egg in a bowl and whisk it with a bit of water.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Add the flour, dry yeast, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and oil.

    Making dough for Czech veka bread. All ingredients in a bowl.

    STEP 2: Knead into a smooth, firm and elastic dough: First, roughly mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Dump the pre-made dough onto a work surface and finish with your hands. If the dough is too sticky, gradually incorporate more flour into it until the surface is smooth. Knead the dough properly; there shouldn’t be any lumps in it.

    If you have a stand mixer with a kneading attachment, process the dough for veka in it. It will save you effort.

    STEP 3: Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape it into buns. Dust them with a bit of flour to prevent the surface from drying out. Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and leave them to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

    Rising of yeast dough for czech veka bread.

    TIP: I put the dough in the oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom to rise. The moist and warm environment does wonders for the yeast dough!

    ⤍ Learn how to make dough rise in the oven.

    STEP 4: Roll out each of the risen buns on a work surface lightly dusted with flour into an oval about 13 inches (32.5 cm) long.

    STEP 5: Turn the rolled oval with the longer side towards you and use your hands to roll it up. Transfer both pieces of veka to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Press the ends of the bread in slightly. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for another 30 minutes in a warm place.

    Rolled up veka dough on a working surface, with rolling pin.

    STEP 6: Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C), and place the rack in the center. Place a small pot of boiling water in the bottom of the oven and close the oven door to allow steam to build up inside.

    STEP 7: Brush the risen veka loaves on top with a whisked egg and water mixture.

    Brushing two loaves of veka bread with an egg wash.

    STEP 8: Place the brushed vekas in the steaming oven and close the door quickly. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F (200 °C). Bake for about 15–18 minutes, until the surface is golden.

    Two loaves of baked veka bread.

    ➜ Serving

    Allow the veka pastry to cool completely. Then cut it on a bias into ½ inch (1-1,5 cm) thick slices. Use these to make Czech open-faced sandwiches or top them with various spreads, e.g., garlic cheese spread, or ham spread.

    Czech open-faced sandwiches made on veka bread.

    ➜ Storage

    Veka bread tastes best the day you bake it. I've found that veka is soft and moist for up to three days after baking.

    If you don't use veka up, wrap it in a kitchen cloth and store in a dark place, such as a bread bin.

    ➜ Useful Tips

    • The whisked egg with water (egg wash) will ensure that the crust of veka gets a shiny, golden finish. It will be crispier as well. If you want to enhance this effect even more, brush the veka bread with whisked egg only before it goes into the oven.
    • Carefully place a saucepan or pot of hot water in the oven to make a steamy environment inside. Ensure the saucepan has no plastic parts that could suffer in the hot oven.
    • The classic Czech veka bread is smooth on the surface, without the slashes that French baguettes usually have.

    More Czech bread:

    • Rohliky – white bread rolls
    • Housky – braided rolls
    • Czech rye bread – chléb
    • Rye bread rolls – dalamánky

    Tried this recipe?

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

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Czech veka bread recipe.

    Czech Veka White Bread

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Do you like Czech bread? Try Veka, a white baguette-like bread found in Czech stores! Here's a simple yeast dough recipe that makes two loaves of soft bread with a crispy golden crust.
    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 18 minutes mins
    Leavening:: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr 48 minutes mins
    Servings: 2 loaves

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more if the dough is too sticky
    • 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
    • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
    • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ½ Tablespoon salt
    • 1 and ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil sunflower or Canola

    Instructions 

    • Add 4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons active dry yeast, ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, and ½ Tablespoon salt to the bowl. Pour in 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and 1 and ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil.
    • Knead into a smooth, elastic dough: First, roughly mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Transfer the dough to a work surface and finish kneading by hand. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more flour until it becomes elastic.
    • Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each into a bun. Dust them with a bit of flour to prevent the surface from drying out. Cover the buns with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
    • Roll out each of the risen buns on a lightly floured work surface into an oval about 13 inches (33 cm) long.
    • Turn the rolled oval so the longer side is facing you and roll it up with your hands. Transfer both pieces of veka to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Slightly press in the ends of the bread. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
    •  Heat the oven to 420 °F, and place the rack in the center. Place a small pot of boiling water in the bottom of the oven and close the oven door to allow steam to build up inside.
    • Brush the risen Veka loaves on top with a mixture of whisked egg and water.
    • Place the brushed Vekas in the oven with the steam and quickly close the door. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for about 15-18 minutes until the surface is golden.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 2 loaves of Veka bread.
    • Allow the Veka to cool completely. Then cut it on a bias into ½ inch (1-1.5 cm) thick slices.
    • STORAGE: Veka bread tastes best the day you bake it. It remains soft and moist for up to three days after baking. If you don't use it all up, wrap it in a kitchen cloth and store it in a dark place, such as a bread bin.
    • Use the slices of veka to make Czech open-faced sandwiches (Chlebíčky) or top them with various spreads, such as garlic cheese spread or ham spread.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 1041kcal | Carbohydrates: 196g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1763mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 12mg
    Servings: 2 loaves
    Calories pro serving: 1041
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: Czech
    Pin Recipe Share by Email Share on Facebook
    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.
    • 127shares

    More from Czech Bread Recipes

    • Sliced plecovník Czech Easter bread.
      Plecovník Czech Sausage Bread
    • Two sausage bunny rolls.
      Sausage Bunny Rolls (Klobásoví zajíčci)
    • All saints bone rolls baked, on a baking sheet.
      Czech All Saints' Bone Rolls
    • Two sliced of Czech Šumavská topinka on a plate.
      Pan-fried Bread with Scrambled Eggs (Šumavská topinka)

    Comments

    1. Dennis Williams says

      October 28, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      Easy recipe and splendid results! I bake a lot of yeast breads and this turned out well the first time. Happy Independence Day (today)!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        October 30, 2022 at 3:53 pm

        Thank you, Dennis! Not only for your nice words but also for the Independence Day wishes! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Irene says

      September 27, 2023 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you Petra for your wonderful recipes!
      I’m from a Slovenian background and your recipes are very similar to my mum’s recipes.
      The step by step with your comments are a great help.
      Please keep posting!
      Greetings from Australia

      Reply
    3. Olga says

      January 01, 2025 at 1:51 pm

      Happy New Year! I made your veka recipe for last night celebration. It turned out great.

      Reply
      • Petra | Cook Like Czechs says

        January 10, 2025 at 2:40 pm

        Ahoj Olga, Happy New Year to you as well.
        I am happy that it turned out great.

        Reply
    4. Dana says

      March 30, 2025 at 3:50 pm

      Petro, parada! Veka vysla naprosto luxusni....jednoduchy recept, a relativne rychly (az na to kynuti, haha). Moc diky z Kanady 🙂

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says

        March 31, 2025 at 8:51 pm

        Jsem ráda, že to byl úspěch.
        Není za zač a doufám, že se Vám bude dařit a nadále.

        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




    Hi there, I am Petra, born and raised in the Czech Republic, a self-taught home cook with over 20 years of experience. I am on a mission to keep Czech culinary heritage alive by sharing cherished recipes & stories with nostalgic hearts worldwide.

    Learn more

    Popular

    • Two pieces of Czech Tvarožník cake served on a green plate.
      Tvarožník – Czech-Style Cheesecake

    • Czech buchta with canned peaches, sliced, served on a dessert plate.
      Czech Peach Buchta Sheet Cake

    • Pork kidney stew served with rice in a bowl.
      Pork Kidney Stew (Czech Dušené ledvinky)

    • Fried and sugared rosettes.
      Fried Rosettes (Czech Rozetky)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    All Things Czech

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

    Useful Links

    • Privacy Policy
    • Nutrition Disclosure

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 CookLikeCzechs.com