Vienna Bread or Pain Viennois is an absolutely delicious and irresistible Austrian bread that one must definitely not miss try.
I last updated this recipe in April 2016, and since then, this recipe has garnered more than a million page views and is one of the most popular recipes on my blog.
What does Vienna Bread or Pain Viennois or Austrian bread rolls taste like ?
Vienna Bread can be made in the shape of rolls or baguettes. It is softer than traditional European baguettes (i.e., Italian baguettes and French baguettes), and has a fine texture with tight crumbs and has a sweet taste.
How do your serve Vienna Bread rolls or Bread loaves?
You can make delicious toasts, french toasts, grilled cheese sandwiches, or other sandwiches with your favorite filling. You can even serve Vienna Bread as a side with soup or toasted with pasta.
My family loves toasted Vienna Bread with a spread of soft room temperature butter, and it gets over in no time. Its hard not to eat these beauties as soon as they come out of the oven. Trust me; they are simply irresistible.
Vienna bread is also known as Pain Viennois. You can check more details on this bread here. This bread is inspired by one of my favorite chefs of the real deal cooking channel.
How to make Vienna Bread rolls soft?
How do I make a Vegan Vienna Bread?
Honestly, I have not tried preparing a Vegan Vienna Bread. If I were to try this version in the future, I would replace butter with vegan butter, milk with any non-diary milk, and brush the risen roll with a vegan egg wash. If you are unsure what a vegan egg wash is, then here is my version that I use for sweet (non-savory) recipes.
Vegan egg wash substitutes
One part of Agave nectar whisked with two parts of non-diary milk. The heat in the oven causes – (1) the sugars in the agave nectar to caramelize and give the bread its signature golden-brown crust (along with sugar in the dough), and (2) the proteins in the non-diary milk to breakdown and give the bread a shiny finish once the water content evaporates.
Printable Detailed Recipe for Vienna Bread or Pain Viennois or Austrian Bread rolls or loaves or loafs

Vienna Bread or Pain Viennois is an absolutely delicious Austrian bread that one must definitely not miss to try.
- 1 packet Active dry yeast ( 2 1/2 tsp)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 1/3 cup Fat free skim milk
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 3 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 Egg wash (beat an egg with pinch of salt)
-
In a bowl, add warm fat free skim milk, sugar and mix well. Sprinkle yeast.
-
Cover it and keep it undisturbed for 10 minutes. Let the yeast activate.
-
Add salt and all purpose flour to the yeast mixture and mix.
-
Transfer the dough to working surface. Add the softened butter and knead it using palm and heals of your hand for about 8 to 10 minutes till you get a soft dough. I have not added any additional flour while kneading.
-
Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover and keep it aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it is doubled in size.
-
Transfer the dough to working surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. I have not used any extra flour.
-
Shape each piece into ball. Cover it with kitchen towel and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
-
Flatten each ball to remove any air bubbles and shape them tightly into sandwich rolls or shape of baguettes.
-
Place these rolls on baking pan at least 3 to 4 inch apart. Brush it with egg wash.
-
Using sharp knife or razor blade score at least 10 times.
-
Let it proof again for 1 hour.
-
Preheat the oven to 450 degree F. Brush the loaves with egg wash again if desired.
-
Bake for about 15 minutes or until done.
-
Allow it to cool down.
-
Vienna Bread is ready. Serve and enjoy.
- The amount of flour may vary depending on the brand of flour used and weather conditions or even the type of milk used in the recipe.
- You may substitute milk with water and milk powder in the recipe.
- Try not to add any flour during the kneading process. As you knead it for 8 to 10 minutes you will get a smooth soft dough.
If you like this braided bread,
Don’t miss to check out other delicious bread and flatbread recipes
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
***Click below to save it on Pinterest***
Recipe for Vienna Bread or Pain Viennois or Austrian Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 packet Active dry yeast ( 2 1/2 tsp)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 1/3 cup Fat free skim milk
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 3 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 Egg wash (beat an egg with pinch of salt)
Steps to prepare Vienna Bread Rolls from scratch
Step I
- In a bowl, add warm fat free skim milk, sugar and mix well. Sprinkle yeast.
- Cover it and keep it undisturbed for 10 minutes. Let the yeast activate.
Step II
- Add salt and all purpose flour to the yeast mixture and mix.
- Transfer the dough to working surface. Add the softened butter and knead it using palm and heals of your hand for about 8 to 10 minutes till you get a soft dough. I have not added any additional flour while kneading.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover and keep it aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it is doubled in size.
Step III
- Transfer the dough to working surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. I have not used any extra flour.
- Shape each piece into ball. Cover it with kitchen towel and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Step IV
- Flatten each ball to remove any air bubbles and shape them tightly into sandwich rolls or shape of baguettes.
- Place these rolls on baking pan at least 3 to 4 inch apart. Brush it with egg wash.
- Using sharp knife or razor blade score at least 10 times.
- Let it proof again for 1 hour.
Step V
- Preheat the oven to 450 degree F. Brush the loaves with egg wash again if desired.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until done.
- Allow it to cool down.
- Vienna Bread is ready. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- The amount of flour may vary depending on the brand of flour used and weather conditions or even the type of milk used in the recipe.
- You may substitute milk with water and milk powder in the recipe.
- Try not to add any flour during the kneading process. As you knead it for 8 to 10 minutes you will get a smooth soft dough.
These Vienna bread sticks are bakery-perfect!
Thank you Angie 🙂
So perfect and looks so delicious,would love to taste it
Thank you Moumita 🙂
How big are these? Could you just make a bigger loaf instead of smaller ones?
Each of the six loaves are slightly larger than a hot dog bun, say 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches diameter. I have never tried making a single loaf from the given measurements. For a single loaf the baking time will increase, say 18 to 20 mins – may be longer.
Lovely & perfect bread…………….looks awesome.
Thank you dear 🙂
They look super luscious and so delicious!
Thank you dear 🙂
I love Love homemade breads, and these Vienna bread sticks look awesome, Kushi. I can imagine the baking aroma coming out of your kitchen.
Thank you Anu 🙂
Vienna bread is one of my favorites, Kushi…and this looks perfect! I would love a nice big slice…or a loaf…right about now! 🙂
Thank you David 🙂
Oh wow! Bread looks amazing.. I love making bread at home and this one looks so perfectly made. Bookmarked!
Thank you Poornima 🙂
Vienna breads appear similar to the ones we get from carrefour. I can feel its texture and aroma.
Thank you Smitha 🙂
Hi Khushi, This bread looks awesome and tempting, Can I make without egg? I really like the shape.
Thank you dear. Egg wash is done for the glaze. If you skip the look of bread may change. You can try glazing it with butter or milk.
you have got beautiful collection of bread recipes..keep on going
Thank you Nisa 🙂
I am just loving all of your beautiful bread recipes, Kushi! These look amazingly delicious and fairly simple to make too! Nothing beats homemade bread!!!
Thank you Joscelyn 🙂
This bread is absolutely gorgeous!!! I pinned this immediately because I love everything about it and will make it as soon as I can. Looks so yummy! 🙂
Thank you so much dear. Do let me know how it turned out 🙂
So good and I see how well these have been baked.
Thank you Nava 🙂
you prove to be a perfect baker kushi…picture perfect
Thank you Vani 🙂
These look amazing. I want to try but can you use 2% milk?
Thank you. Yes you can 🙂
Hi! Looks so pretty! Does it have to be fat-free milk?
Thank you Julia. I have used fat-free milk. You can check for the substitute in tip section. You can try using whole milk but the amount of flour may vary slightly.
Can you knead dough in a mixer or does it need to be done by hand?
I like to knead it by hand 🙂 You can use mixer!
Can this be done in a bread machine?
Yes. you can! do let me know how this turned out!
I have already done it but the dough was very sticky i dont know why
Sessem – I am not sure, because the ratio of milk to flour is 1:2 (may be slightly more). As mentioned in tip section there are few other factors that may influence the amount of flour required, not just in this bread recipe but in other breads as well. I hope you were able to add more flour to bring the dough to desired consistency. I prepare Vienna rolls often and I always use the same proportions. I hope you give this one another try when you get a chance! Good luck.
could i make these into bigger loafs?? if so then how many more minutes dose it need in the oven?
Tori, yes you may make these into bigger loaves. Baking time should not vary much. Keep an eye out at 15 minute mark – may be couple of minutes longer. Depends on the oven.
WHOOOO HOOOOO! SO good!
I just tried your recipe and my loaves turned out perfectly. Your instructions were very easy to follow. Beautiful!
Thank you so much. I am glad you liked it!
I’ve just made this bread today. The bread turned out simply gorgeous! The texture and crumb are spot on It is almost identical to the Vienna bread my mother used to make us. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. It will now become a staple in my home.
My house smelled amazing with this bread baking!! My loaves didn’t rise very high but the smaller size was perfect for a hoagie roll the next day! The personal size loaves were delicious. I did sprinkle sea salt on the loaves before baking and I will add even more next time!! Thanks for a super easy, delicious recipe! The loaves were beautiful as well!
Two of my grandsons just left here with smiles on their faces after eating two meatball sandwiches each. They agree with me these are the best sandwich rolls ever thank you thank you thank you
Thank you so much for the comment. You left a smile on my face 🙂
Hi Kushi,
I would like to try this but I only have instant dry yeast. Can I use that or do I need to buy the active dry yeast?
I think it should be fine with instant dry yeast. Do let me know how this turned out!
I’ve been unable to find a cue to print this recipe. I also tried to copy and paste, which as a waste of time. I would love to be able to make this bread………what does one have to do to print it please? Why is it so difficult to find a way? Thank you
I have enabled the option to print this recipe. Thanks for recommending this feature for my blog – I really appreciate it.
I am wondering why one cannot find a cue to print the recipe. I looked as thoroughly as possible several times; you have all sorts of website “buttons” but not one for print. I love to bake bread, would love to try this but need to print it. Why so difficult? I also tried copy/paste, result was disastrous. Hope you can help.
Sorry, I do not have the print-recipe feature on my blog yet. I will consider your suggestion when I update my website in the future. As a side note – I was able to easily copy paste the ingredient and steps section from the webpage to Microsoft Word and Google docs (docs.google.com) without any loss in formatting and then issue a print. Thanks!
Can I prepare this receipt without the 2 tbs of Maida? Or can I substitute this ingredient?
I have used a total of 3.5 cups + 2tbsp of All Purpose Flour [Maida means All purpose flour, sorry 🙂 ] in the recipe.
Hi Kushi, the bread looks amazing! Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour? Thanks!
Yes, you can. But you may see slight change in texture. Let me know how it turned out 🙂
Just pulled these out of the oven and I can’t wait to try them! They look and smell amazing! Just as I remember! I can’t wait until they’re cool enough try! I just need to score them deeper next time I make them. Wish I could attach my pictures for y’all to see!
Thank you so much. I am glad yo loved it. I would love to see the pictures. Feel free to tag with #cookwithkushi on Instagram 🙂
It would be great if you post a video of the making process! Thanks
Is the fat free milk important for texture – could I substitute whole milk?
Fat definitely helps. I haven’t tried it with fat free milk. If you try, please let us all know how it turned out.
I am definitely, trying to make this recipe. Looks delicious thank you very
Amazing !!! I made the dough in my bread machine, then followed the rest of the directions exactly. We love them great taste and texture. My baguettes look shorter than yours ( about 8 inches long) . Otherwise they look just like the picture. Thanks for this great recipe
I just made this bread. Wonderful recipe! Thanks for sharing a different type of bread with me. I was wanting something different than a sourdough and these taste delicious! You weren’t kidding about not adding extra flour. After kneading for 8 minutes, the dough came together beautifully. I only did one application of egg wash and my bread came our beautifully dark, so I’m glad I didn’t apply a second coat. The bread tastes almost pretzel-like, and I love it.
For anyone making this recipe, I suggest making sure your milk is at least room temp and do NOT add extra flour while kneading.
Good luck!
how warm should the water or milk be for activating yeast ?
Sorry for the late response. Water/Milk should be luke warm, around 105F
I just got back from Vienna and fell in love with this style of bread whilst there! This recipe was so good and already feels like I never left Austria!
Thanks a lot! I love this recipe too.
This bread is just beautiful! It sounds so delicious and you make it seem so easy.
I made this bread last weekend and it was incredible! It came out perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I do love making my own bread so I am going to have to give this a try! It has my mouth watering at the thought of it – delicious!
Not only is this excellent bread tasting, but it also looks gorgeous after being baked and pinning this to save.
Whoah! I just found my new favorite recipe for Vienna bread…boom! Thank you! 🙂
There is nothing like the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven. It reminds me of my childhood and all the delicious homemade bread my mom would make.
This is absolutely amazing! A sure hit at my house! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Wow this looks so good, I can’t wait to try!
It’s really hard to beat homemade bread. I love smelling it while it cooks and I love eating it when it’s done. So good!
Fresh homemade bread is the best. I’ve never had this kind before. It looks amazing.
These are some gorgeous bread photos you’ve got! I will confess to making the same assumption about this being similar to brioche…Now I know the difference and since the hardness of brioche is honestly a bit of a turn-off for me, I’m really looking forward to trying this!
I used to buy vienna bread in France for breakfast. I haven’t had that in ages! You totally made me travel back to my childhood and homeland! They look fabulous! Saving for later!
I love homemade bread. You made those vent slices perfectly. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
This is so perfect! Would be perfect for any occasion at my house!
I didn’t know that adding sugar to the dough would make it brown better. What a great tip!
I love bread, all types of bread, and this looks totally delicious! I would definitely had to try it with some butter.
Love how simple this recipe is! And that golden color is gorgeous!
I’ve never actually tried Vienna Bread before but after reading this I’ll definitely be giving it a go!
You’ve got that crust coming out perfectly! Helpful breakdown about this bread vs. brioche. I also have my eye on your roti recipe!
Oh I bet these are just the best with some cream cheese and raspberry jam! They looks like THE breakfast treat! Step aside toast!
This Vienna Bread is golden brown and beautiful. SO tasty!
Such a delicious bread! I love the texture!
This is an AH-mazing recipe! Your straightforward instructions make it so easy to enjoy delicious freshly baked bread at home!
I’ve never heard of this type of bread before, but it looks and sounds wonderful. You really can’t beat homemade bread, Sharing this one now 🙂
Wow, your breads look like they are straight out from a bakery. I have baked all sort of bread but never tried this one before. I’ll totally be baking these beauties soon. 🙂
Just wondering how long these 6 loaves are? are they individual for each person or what? Thx in advance.
They are slightly larger than hot dog buns, about 6 inches long, 2 to 3 inches thick.
This bread looks so light and fluffy. I can’t wait to try it.
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try and bake it 🙂
What a great recipe. Your instructions were perfect and this came out incredible!
This bread looks gorgeous, fluffy and crusty. I can’t wait to have a go at making this myself.
This is such an amazing bread! My whole family loved it!
These look amazing. They look so light and fluffy.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this with friends.
Oh wow — I have never heard of Vienna bread until now, but I’m a fan of all breads. I’m going to try making these tonight for dinner. Thanks so much for the recipe!
These are so wonderful! So great to have bread like this from my own oven!