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    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Czech Rye Bread (Chleba)

    Published: Feb 9, 2023 · Modified: Aug 31, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 29 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    • 2.9Kshares

    Nothing brings back memories of the Czech Republic like the smell of freshly baked bread! This is a recipe for wheat rye bread made with yeast and spiced with caraway. Let’s dive into a world of real flavor and get baking!

    Slice of bread spread with butter.

    ➜ What is Czech rye bread

    Bohemian bread is a staple in many Czech families, used for breakfast, snacks and light dinners. The classic bread loaf is either round or oblong in shape. It is characterized by a soft crumb and a crispy, golden-brown crust.

    It is usually baked with a combination of wheat and rye flour, often with the addition of crushed caraway seeds, which make the bread smell amazing. Simple breads have a yeast dough base, while more complex breads require sourdough.

    Czech rye bread on a wooden spoon, wrapped in kitchen cloth.

    The bread in my recipe is made with yeast dough in two stages. First the yeast starter is prepared, then the complex dough. Expect the bread to take about half a day to prepare, with most of that time spent rising the dough and then baking the bread in the oven!

    How do you say bread in Czech? The Czech name for Bohemian rye bread is chléb or chleba.

    ➜ Bread ingredients

    To make homemade Czech bread from scratch, you will need:

    1st bread dough (yeast starter):

    Ingredients to make rye bread, inclusive captions.
    • Warm water; 105°-115°F
    • Rye flour; I used fine wholemeal rye flour
    • Active dry yeast
    • Honey; The original recipe calls for malt syrup, but honey works well too. If you don't have honey, use granulated sugar.

    According to professional bakers, malt is the best sugar to feed yeast because it contains a wide range of nutrients, including a high amount of simple sugars that yeast requires to reproduce and ferment the dough.

    2nd bread dough:

    Ingredients to make rye bread, inclusive captions.
    • Lukewarm water
    • All-purpose flour (wheat flour)
    • Caraway seeds; crushed. If you can only get whole caraway seeds, crush them with a mortar and pestle, or use this method: How to grind spices by hand
    • Boiled potatoes; mashed potato puree. The potatoes make the bread keep longer and be softer. One boiled potato or two tablespoons of mashed potatoes is enough for one loaf of bread.
    • Salt

    ✅ You will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.

    ➜ How to make Czech bread

    STEP 1: First, prepare the yeast starter. Sift the rye flour into a bowl and mix it with the dry yeast. Dissolve the honey or sugar in lukewarm water and pour it into the bowl of flour. Use a wooden spoon to make a thick dough.

    Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes.

    Making starter for rye bread.
    Raised yeast starter for rye bread, in a white bowl.

    TIP: I let the dough rise in the oven with a pot of hot water in the bottom.

    STEP 2: Add all-purpose flour, crushed caraway seeds, salt, shredded boiled potato (or mashed potato puree), and lukewarm water to the fermented starter.

    Making yeast dough for Czech rye bread.

    Stir with a wooden spoon, then turn the mass onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough well by hand.

    Be warned! The dough is quite sticky, so expect to end up with some dough on your hands.

    Bread dough on a floured working surface.

    STEP 3: Return the dough to the bowl and let it rise for another 45–60 minutes. I put the dough back in the oven to proof.

    Bread dough in a white bowl.
    Raised dough for bread, in a white bowl.

    STEP 4: Prepare a round bowl and a clean tea towel. Dust the cloth evenly with flour and line the bowl with it. Carefully transfer the raised dough to a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes.

    Rye bread, leavening.

    TIP: In this case, I don't put the dough in the oven to rise because it needs to be preheated before the bread is baked, including the container in which you are going to make the bread.

    STEP 5: About half an hour before the bread is proofed, turn the oven to 450°F (230°C). Place the Dutch oven, including the lid, in the preheated oven and let it heat up.

    TIP: If the dish in which you bake the bread is not heated sufficiently beforehand, the bread will stick to the sides of the dish and cannot be tipped out after baking.

    Preheating Dutch oven in the oven.

    STEP 6: Prepare a cooling rack and heat-resistant oven gloves on the table next to the oven. Open the oven and, if it has telescopic rails, slide them and the pre-heated dish out. With gloves on, carefully remove the lid and place it on the cooling rack. 

    Put the raised bread into the pot. Cover it with the lid, slide the rails back in, and close the oven door.

    Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C), and bake for another 10 minutes or until a crusty skin forms.

    Baked bread in Dutch oven.

    STEP 7: Turn out the bread and place it on a cooling rack. Leave to cool for at least two hours before slicing with a knife.

    ➜ Serving

    Bohemian rye bread is the staple of Czech cuisine. It is usually eaten sliced, spread with butter and jam, with honey, or topped with ham, salami, or cheese.

    Enjoy a slice of fresh, buttered bread for breakfast, a snack, or dinner. Bread is also a great accompaniment to soups; this combo makes a great light lunch.

    Ways to use stale bread: Pan fry the slices of bread on both sides until golden brown and you will get a popular Czech snack called "Topinka." Or cut it into cubes and make crispy bread croutons for soup.

    Sliced rye bread on wooded board.

    ➜ Storage

    Like any homemade bread, this tastes best when fresh. However, adding a little shredded potato to the dough will extend its life by a day or two.

    Wrap the bread in a clean tea towel and store in a bread bin. When completely cooled, the bread can be stored in a plastic bag.

    ➜ Can I freeze the bread?

    Czech bread freezes great! Freeze it as soon as it cools after baking. I recommend cutting it into slices beforehand. That way you don't have to defrost the whole loaf when you want a slice for breakfast or a snack.

    Let the bread thaw at room temperature or, if you're in a hurry, bake it in the oven. When thawed, it tastes just like fresh bread.

    Bread will keep in the freezer for at least three months.

    Czech rye bread (chleba) on a wooden board.

    ➜ What wessel should I use to bake bread?

    I baked my bread in a 12-inch (28 cm) diameter Dutch oven, which is suitable for baking at high temperatures in the oven.

    Dutch ovens are heavy pots typically made of cast iron and have lids that can tightly seal the bread dough inside, creating an environment perfect for baking bread. 

    Baking bread in a dutch oven produces a crusty, golden-brown exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. The Dutch oven's thick walls and lid trap heat and moisture during the baking process, encouraging the formation of steam inside the pot and resulting in an even better crust. Furthermore, the Dutch oven's heavy lid creates a humid environment that keeps the dough from drying out too quickly while baking.

    If you don't have a Dutch oven, put your bread in a clay pot, casserole dish, or any large oven-safe pot with a well-fitting lid. A round baking dish made of oven-proof cooking glass with a lid is also a good choice.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • In this recipe, I describe how to make bread by hand, without any special equipment. If you have a bread machine and are used to working with it, grab it, it will save you labor!
    • In the recipe, I combine two types of flour: finely ground whole-wheat rye flour and all-purpose flour. If you are comfortable with the basic recipe, feel free to play around with combining other flours or adjusting the ratio. The more rye flour, the less fluffy and dense the bread will be, with a more intense flavor.
    • The Czech bread is a mainstay of the Czech diet and an important part of the country's culinary heritage. Its exceptional taste and texture make it a beloved food for people in the Czech Republic and around the world.

    More Czech bread recipes:

    • Rohlíky rolls
    • Housky braided rolls
    • Veka bread
    • Onion rolls
    • Dalamánky rye rolls
    • Šumavská topinka

    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 rye bread on a wooden spoon, wrapped in kitchen cloth.

    Czech Rye Bread (Chleba)

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Nothing brings back memories of the Czech Republic like the smell of freshly baked bread! This is a recipe for wheat and rye bread made with yeast and spiced with caraway. Let’s dive into a world of real flavor and get baking!
    5 from 11 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
    Rising time: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Total Time: 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 1 loaf

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    1st dough (yeast starter):

    • 1 cup rye flour
    • ⅔ cup lukewarm water 110-115°F (40°C)
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

    2nd dough (add to the starter):

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • ⅔ cup lukewarm water
    • 3 teaspoons caraway seeds crushed or roughly ground
    • 1 small potato boiled, shredded; or 2 Tbsp mashed potatoes
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    Instructions 

    1st bread dough (yeast starter):

    • Sift 1 cup rye flour into a bowl and mix it with 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast. Dissolve 1 teaspoon honey or sugar in ⅔ cup lukewarm water, then pour it into the bowl with the flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture into a thick dough. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes – I suggest placing the dough in your oven with a pot of hot water at the bottom.

    2nd bread dough (add to the starter):

    • Add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons caraway seeds (crushed), 2 teaspoons salt, 1 small potato (boiled, cooled and shredded), and ⅔ cup lukewarm water to the fermented starter.
    • Stir with a wooden spoon, then turn the mass onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough well by hand. The dough is quite sticky, so expect to end up with some dough on your hands.
    • Return the dough to the bowl and let it rise for another 45–60 minutes. I put the dough back in the oven to proof.
    • Prepare a round, deep bowl and a clean tea towel. Dust the cloth evenly with flour and line the bowl with it. Carefully transfer the raised dough to a bowl lined with a floured tea towel. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes.
    • About half an hour before the bread is proofed, turn the oven to 450 °F. Place the Dutch oven, including the lid, in the preheated oven and let it heat up.
    • Prepare a cooling rack and heat-resistant oven gloves, placing them next to the oven. Open the oven and, if it has telescopic rails, slide them and the pre-heated dish out. With gloves on, carefully remove the lid and place it on the cooling rack.
    • Put the risen bread into the pot. Cover it with the lid, slide the rails back in, and close the oven door. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid, reduce the temperature to 380 °F, and bake for another 10 minutes or until a crusty skin forms.
    • Turn out the bread and place it on a cooling rack. Leave to cool for at least two hours before slicing with a knife.

    Notes

    • The basic recipe makes 1 round loaf 9 inches (22 cm), weighing 28 ounces (800 g), about 15-18 slices.
    • SERVING: Bohemian rye bread is the staple of Czech cuisine. It is usually eaten sliced, spread with butter and jam, with honey, or topped with ham, salami, or cheese. Enjoy a slice of fresh, buttered bread for breakfast, a snack, or dinner. Bread is also a great accompaniment to soups; this combo makes a great light lunch.
    • Wrap the bread in a clean tea towel and store in a bread bin. When completely cooled, the bread can be stored in a plastic bag.
    • FREEZING: Czech bread freezes great! Freeze it as soon as it cools after baking. I recommend cutting it into slices beforehand. That way you don't have to defrost the whole loaf when you want a slice for breakfast or a snack.
    • In the recipe, I combine two types of flour: finely ground whole-wheat rye flour and all-purpose flour. Once you are comfortable with the basic recipe, feel free to experiment with other types of flour or adjusting the ratio. Keep in mind that the more rye flour you use, the denser and less fluffy the bread will be, resulting in a more intense flavor.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 2242kcal | Carbohydrates: 454g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 6124mg | Potassium: 1948mg | Fiber: 36g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 43IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 314mg | Iron: 27mg
    Servings: 1 loaf
    Calories pro serving: 2242
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: traditional Czech food
    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.
    • 2.9Kshares

    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. Eva Phillips says

      March 28, 2023 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      Vyborny chleb jako dela maminka! Ja bydlim v Americe (ve statu New Jersey) a ted ho zrovna pecu a karsne voni. Bohuzel nekdy je tady tezko najit hodne hladkou zitnou mouku, ale v Ruskem obchodu Netcost se najde. Dekuji za recept a zdravim vas z USA!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 26, 2023 at 8:07 am

        Evi, thank you very much for your feedback and tips on the rye flour! Greetings from the Czech Republic, Petra

        Reply
      • Wayne says

        January 18, 2025 at 1:43 pm

        5 stars
        This is what I wanted to hear. I have never made bread but wanted to make rye bread as it is not available here in the UK. I worked in CZ for some time and love the food. Also need a good bread to make Croutons for Petra's garlic soup recipe. my sister has loaned me her bread maker, now I can confidently have a go at making it. Thankyou and thank you Petra for the great recipes.

        Reply
        • Petra | Cook Like Czechs says

          January 22, 2025 at 5:07 pm

          That's fantastic! I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job with the bread maker. Let me know how it turns out and best of luck.

          Reply
          • Wayne says

            January 23, 2025 at 2:14 pm

            5 stars
            It came out perfect. Not sure if I got lucky or have a bit of a skill for tipping everything in the breadmaker and pressing play. Thanks to Markětá Kahnt for saying that was a good option.

            Reply
        • Wayne says

          January 25, 2025 at 6:40 pm

          5 stars
          It came out perfect. Not sure if I got lucky or have a bit of a skill for tipping everything in the breadmaker and pressing play. Thanks to Markětá Kahnt for saying that was a good option.

          Reply
          • Petra | Cook Like Czechs says

            January 31, 2025 at 6:00 pm

            I’m so glad to hear it turned out perfect! Either you’ve got some serious baking skills or the breadmaker is doing all the work—but hey, if it works, it works! Keep those perfect loaves coming!

            Reply
      • Anastasia Knoblochova says

        April 24, 2025 at 6:32 pm

        Hi can I ask what is going to happen if I skip potato?

        Reply
    2. Spencer says

      May 21, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      Do you have version of this recipe that uses a sourdough starter?

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 26, 2023 at 8:06 am

        Hi, Spencer, I'm sorry, but I don't. I haven't had enough practice making bread of a sourdough starter yet. I believe that will change in time!

        Reply
    3. Zlatka T says

      August 27, 2023 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Petro, ja bych Ti chtela podekovat a take tvemu synovi za peknou praci s touto webowou strankou. Mas tu opravdu vsechno. Ja take ziju v USA (Maryland) a tu a tam varim, pecu ceska jidla. Narodila jsem se v CZ (Ceska Lipa). Co me tu moc chybi je poctive pecivo. Ten chleba jsem upekla a moc se povedl, vsichni jsme si pochutnali. Moje holky uz breci ze chteji rohliky...tak budou brzo. Myslim, ze tvoje prace moc pomaha lidem v zahranici, protoze to mas prelozene do AJ, mas prelozene metricke miry, coz hodne pomuze, ale taky mas vychytane co se da nahradit cim. Ja jsem napriklad az ted po tolika letech pochopila, ze nas cesky kmin je caraway seed a ne cummin. MOC DEKUJI za krasne recepty a tvoji praci.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        September 18, 2023 at 1:57 pm

        Zdravim Zlatko, dekuji Vam za krasny komentar a mila slova - moc si jich vazim. Je skvele, ze jste si v receptech nasla to svoje. Rada slysim, ze se Vam chleb vydaril a ze se dockal uspechu! At se dari i nadale. Dejte pak urcite vedet, jestli byly Vase holky spokojene i s rohliky. Pozdravy ze severnich Cech, do Ceske Lipy to nemame daleko 🙂

        Reply
        • Zlatka says

          March 16, 2024 at 12:19 pm

          Anicko, bylo by mozne udelat dvojitou davku a upect jako vetsi bochnik? Uz jste to nekdy zkusila? Asi by bylo treba prodlouzit dobu peceni. Co myslite??

          Reply
          • Petra Kupská says

            April 02, 2024 at 9:00 am

            Zlatko, bochník by určitě větší upéct šel, zvýšila bych dávku o polovinu (t.j. přepočítat ingredience x1,5). Chléb je dělaný v litinovém hrnci o pr. 20 cm, pokud by se dávka zdvojnásobila, mohl by chléb být dost vysoký.

            Reply
      • Katka says

        December 15, 2024 at 1:01 pm

        Zlatko, já jsem také z České Lípy!! 🙂 Ale teď ziji u Vancouveru v Kanade. Na Vánoce přiletí rodina, tak se chystám na pečení a čtu tvůj komentář:) A díky za ten kmín, protože já myslela, že cumin je namlete caraway seed😅

        Reply
    4. Mila Vapenik says

      October 15, 2023 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      Vrele diky za pekny a dokonaly popis na zitny chleba. Ja ho uz pecu nespocitatelnych let, ale nikdy jsem nepouzila brambor do testa. Sama si delam sourdough kvasek. Ten zabere nekolik dni. Taky pridam do testa trosku olivoveho oleje. Testo neni lepkave a dobre se s nim dela.Bydlim v Kanade a je mi 82 let.Moc dekuji a zkusim vas recept.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        October 22, 2023 at 2:50 pm

        Zdravim, Milo, dekuji Vam za komentar a zpetnou vazbu. Dejte pak urcite vedet jak chleba dopadl! Pozdravy z Ceske republiky.

        Reply
    5. Markětá Kahnt says

      January 18, 2024 at 10:38 am

      5 stars
      A local restaurant, run by a couple of Czech chefs, used to include slices of chleba with every dish. As great as the various dishes on their menu were, it was the bread that people raved about. They used to sell the bread in the market for the equivalent of 80 Kc a loaf back when Tesco in Prague sold it for 9 Kc.

      In 2006, I traveled to Prague, and my host gave me a slice of bread and said "You not know this" - I recognised it to her shock.

      I bake my own bread for 30 years with a breadmaker. I have made chleba separately in the oven with a different recipe, but always had trouble with it not raising properly. I took this recipe, combined it all into the breadmaker, used some thoroughly mashed potatoes, and it came out of the Basic cycle perfectly. It will be a regular choice going forward.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        February 12, 2024 at 11:32 am

        Dobry den, thank you for your lovely comment and feedback, Marketa.
        Greetings from the Czech Republic.

        Reply
      • Wayne says

        January 19, 2025 at 7:29 am

        5 stars
        My earlier comment was aimed at you. Thanks for the breadmaker info.

        Reply
        • Ulrike says

          January 20, 2025 at 4:13 pm

          I just finished the kneading cycle (9 min Dough) in my Breadmaker - from there on it goes into the bowl to rise and finish in Dutch oven . I like the crust a bit crispier and spray it with water the last 10 min in the oven . Crunchy crusty - don’t slice until the next day - perfection

          Reply
    6. Gen says

      August 13, 2024 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      Made my first bread following your recipe and it came out PERFECT! My czech husband loved it ❤️ thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        August 15, 2024 at 3:02 pm

        Thank you for your comment, Gen. Happy to hear the recipe was such a success!

        Reply
    7. Jana says

      January 10, 2025 at 2:10 am

      Ahoj Petro,
      V prvni rade Vam moc dekuji za skvele recepty!
      Ano pokud zijete v zahranici tak jsou ceske recepty nad zlato.
      Chci se zeptat? Mam troubu jen 200 a max, a chci upect tento chleb, kolik mam dat?
      Moc dekuji Jana

      Reply
      • Jirina says

        February 17, 2025 at 12:25 am

        jestli je ta trouba na Celsius, tak 200 je fajn.

        Reply
    8. Audrey says

      February 16, 2025 at 12:54 pm

      5 stars
      I'm so glad I found this site, I LOVE Czech food.
      I baked this bread yesterday, the kitchen smelled insanely good.
      I did convert the recipe to be able to use sourdough instead of yeast:
      active starter: 100g
      rye flour: 120g
      AP flour: 330g
      water: 270ml
      All other ingredients stayed the same. I mixed it all together and left it to autolyse before kneading.
      Of course the rising times were longer because sourdough is not a quick process. It turned out absolutely divine.
      Díky!!!!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        February 28, 2025 at 4:46 pm

        Sourdough must have added such a rich, deep flavor to the bread. 😊 Great idea to adjust the recipe, and it’s always so rewarding when something turns out 'divine' like that.
        I am happy that you found this site too!
        Díky for sharing your experience.

        Reply
    9. Philip J. Verzal says

      April 19, 2025 at 6:10 pm

      I love bohemian food as i am descended from bohemian on my father's side. I make the garlic soup more than regularly as it is most excellent. I did not however have good fortune with the czech rye bread recipe. I followed the instructions except for adding the potato. My bread came out very dry and crumbled. Might you be able to help me miss petra? Thank you

      Reply
    10. Jim moller says

      June 08, 2025 at 7:53 am

      5 stars
      Petra………always wonderful!

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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