I absolutely love making the Pletýnka Bun, a traditional braided bread from the Czech Republic that is super easy and fun to prepare. Even if you think it might be intimidating to braid dough, you only use one single strand made from bread flour, active dry yeast, warm milk, and room temperature butter to create these beautiful, uniquely shaped rolls before proofing and baking them to a nice golden color.
Tom the Chef Founder
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I am so excited to share my Pletýnka Bun recipe with you. This braided bread from the Czech Republic is super easy and fun to prepare, and tastes very unique. While the thought of a braid may sound intimidating, it is actually very easy in this case because you use only one strand! I use simple ingredients like bread flour, active dry yeast, warm milk, and room temperature butter to make a rich, soft dough. After I knead the dough and let it go through the proofing stage, shaping it is a breeze. Just coat them with a simple brushing mixture, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until they reach a beautiful golden color. Let’s get baking!
When I start making the Pletýnka Bun, the foundation is always a perfectly prepared dough. I begin by combining bread flour, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, and salt in a kitchen mixer with a hook attachment. I stir these shortly with a hand whisk just enough to combine all ingredients, usually about fifteen to thirty seconds. Then, I add the warm milk, which should be between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the room temperature butter cut into small pieces. I knead at low speed until all ingredients are partially incorporated, which takes about one to two minutes. Then I increase the speed to medium-high and knead until the compact dough is formed, usually another two to three minutes. This careful process ensures the bread flour and active dry yeast activate properly with the warm milk and room temperature butter.
Rising and proofing are essential for a light and airy Pletýnka Bun. After I knead the dough, I remove the bowl from the kitchen mixer and cover it with a plate or plastic wrap. I let it rise in a warm place for about two hours, or at room temperature for about three to four hours until it has at least doubled in size. Later in the recipe, after shaping, we do a second proofing on the baking sheet. I let the shaped rolls proof in a warm place until doubled in size, usually about thirty minutes to one hour. You can increase the proofing time until they triple in size for an airier consistency, but do not go over three times the size to avoid over-proofing. As a modification that is not part of the recipe, you could let the dough sit in a warm, turned-off oven with a bowl of hot water for extra humidity to speed up the rise, but remember this is a modification that is not part of the recipe. I usually stick to the recipe’s exact resting environment to ensure the active dry yeast works perfectly before baking to a golden color.
Before attempting to braid the Pletýnka Bun, I pre-shape the dough into compact balls to make the final rolling much easier. I place the risen dough on a perfectly clean surface, making absolutely sure there is no flour on it. Because the dough includes room temperature butter, it will not stick. I separate the dough into eight even pieces, about five ounces each, using a bowl scraper and scale. I form each piece of dough into compact dough balls simply using my hands. Then, I cover the balls with a dish towel and let them rest for about five to ten minutes. This resting period is incredibly helpful before rolling out the strands.
The shaping of the Pletýnka Bun is what makes it so unique and fun! I shape the buns one by one on a clean, unfloured surface. I roll each piece into a strand, a long rope shape, with a thickness of about half to three-quarters of an inch and a length of twelve to sixteen inches. To braid, I take the left end of the strand and fold it halfway into the center, directing it away from my body, and connect the fold by lightly pressing it together with my right hand to create an eye on the left side. I keep my finger on that spot to hold the connection. Then I twist the eye on the left away from my body using my left hand. Finally, I pull the right side of the strand all the way through the eye using my right hand. It creates a beautiful woven look without the hassle of multiple strands!
The final steps ensure the Pletýnka Bun looks as good as it tastes. I prepare a brushing mixture by briefly hand-whisking one egg with one quarter cup of milk. I brush all the buns with this brushing mixture before the final proofing on the baking sheet. After they have proofed, I gently brush all the buns again with the remaining brushing mixture right before baking. At this point, you can optionally sprinkle them with toppings like sesame seeds, crushed pepper flakes, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, or large salt crystals. I bake them in a preheated oven at 420 degrees Fahrenheit until a nice golden color is reached, which usually takes about twelve to fifteen minutes. I always rotate the baking sheet in the middle of baking and test with a toothpick to ensure the inside is perfectly baked before moving them to a cooling rack.
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