If you’re tired of the same old snacks and want something different, you’ll love this Kepta Duona recipe. Kepta duona — literally “fried bread” in Lithuanian — is a popular snack across the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) and is common in nearby regions as well. It’s a simple, satisfying bite: dark rye or black bread fried until crisp, rubbed with garlic and served plain or with a garlicky dip.
This delicious snack is made by frying pieces of dense bread in neutral oil that’s been infused with garlic. The result is crunchy, deeply flavored morsels that are perfect on their own or paired with a garlic aioli, mayonnaise, or melted cheese. In many parts of the former Soviet Union these fried bread bites are so beloved they are even sold prepackaged in supermarkets.
How to Make Kepta Duona
This recipe is very quick and forgiving, which makes it ideal for using up leftover dense bread. Be warned: these are addictive, so you might want to make extra!
Start with a dense, dark bread. Traditional kepta duona uses black Lithuanian bread, but if that’s not available you can substitute rye or pumpernickel with excellent results. Health food stores and Eastern European grocers are good places to look for authentic black bread.
Lay several slices out and let them dry for a few hours or overnight; slightly stale bread fries up best. When ready, cut the tip off a clove of garlic and rub it over both sides of each slice so the garlic flavor soaks into the surface.
Using a serrated knife, cut the slices into strips about 1 cm wide and 5 cm long (roughly 2 inches). Set the strips aside while you prepare the oil.
Crush and peel several more garlic cloves and place them in a large, heavy skillet. Pour in a neutral frying oil (such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower) and heat over medium-high. Heating the garlic with the oil allows the oil to pick up the garlic aroma and flavor, which makes the fried bread extra tasty.
When the garlic just begins to brown, remove it with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels. These fried garlic pieces are tasty to eat alongside the bread, so don’t discard them.
Heat the oil to about 180°C (350°F). Carefully add the bread strips, making sure to stir often so pieces fry evenly and become fully crisp. Fry for roughly 5–10 minutes, watching for a darkening and a firm, crunchy texture.
With darker breads like pumpernickel or black bread the color change will be subtle, so judge doneness by texture — don’t let the pieces get overly hard. When they’re crisp, remove them with a spider or slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with salt while still hot.
Let the fried bread cool for a few minutes. While it cools, prepare a simple garlic aioli if you’d like a dipping sauce: whisk two egg yolks with two grated or very finely minced garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and about 1 tablespoon lemon juice. With constant whisking, drizzle in 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil very slowly at first — drop by drop — until the mixture emulsifies, then continue a little faster until all the oil is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning, then chill until ready to serve.
Transfer the kepta duona to a serving dish, add the fried garlic and offer the aioli on the side. They’re excellent on their own but especially satisfying with a cold beer — a classic pairing in the region.
Kepta Duona: Baltic Fried Black Bread
Ingredients
Kepta Duona
- 5-6 slices black bread
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 250 ml neutral oil for frying
Garlic Aioli
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cloves garlic grated or very finely minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 120 ml olive oil
Instructions
Kepta Duona
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Cut the tip off one garlic clove and rub it over each side of the bread slices. Using a serrated knife, cut the slices into 5 cm (2 in) strips.
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Crush and peel the remaining garlic cloves and add them to a skillet with the cold oil. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches about 180°C (350°F). Remove the garlic as it browns and set it aside to drain on paper towels.
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Once the oil is hot, add the bread and fry until darkened and crispy, about 5–10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt.
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Allow the bread to cool about five minutes before serving with the fried garlic and aioli on the side.
Garlic Aioli
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Whisk egg yolks, grated garlic, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.
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Whisking constantly, drizzle the olive oil in very slowly at first until emulsified, then continue until all the oil is incorporated. Chill until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
This is an easy recipe that produces crisp, garlicky fried bread that’s hard to resist. Just be mindful — they’re dangerously moreish.
Curious about regional variations or how to adapt this for different breads? Leave a comment with questions or feedback.