Beautiful choice 🇭🇺🍞
Házi Kenyér is all about a crisp crust, soft airy crumb, and that real bakery smell at home. Here’s a classic, no-nonsense Hungarian homemade bread recipe.
Hungarian Homemade Bread (Házi Kenyér)
Makes: 1 large loaf
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) white bread flour (BL55 if available)
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) lukewarm water
- 10 g (2 tsp) salt
- 7 g (1 packet) dry yeast
(or 20 g fresh yeast) - 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oil or lard (optional but traditional)
Instructions
1. Activate yeast
- Mix water, sugar, and yeast.
- Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Make the dough
- Add flour, salt, and oil.
- Knead 10 minutes by hand (or 6–7 min mixer) until smooth and elastic.
3. First rise
- Cover and let rise 1–1½ hours until doubled.
4. Shape
- Gently punch down, shape into a round loaf.
- Place on floured parchment or baking tray.
5. Second rise
- Cover and rest 30–40 minutes.
6. Bake
- Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F
- Place a small oven-safe dish of hot water inside for steam.
- Slash top with a sharp knife.
- Bake:
- 15 min at 230°C
- Reduce to 200°C / 390°F, bake another 25–30 min
Bread is done when hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
Traditional Tips 🇭🇺
- Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing
- For extra crust: spray loaf with water before baking
- Keeps 2–3 days wrapped in cloth (not plastic)
Variations
- Whole wheat: replace 25–30% of flour
- Potato bread: add 100 g mashed potato for softness
- Sourdough-style: replace yeast with starter (I can help!)
Serve with butter, lard, or goulash—as it should be 😄
Want the no-knead version or wood-fired style crust?