Learn Hardcore Croatian: Kruh se peče u pećnici.

No. Here, se marks a reflexive/passive (often called the se-passive or middle voice). It lets Croatian express a general process without naming who does it. So Kruh se peče u pećnici means the process of baking bread in the oven is happening (or generally happens), without mentioning the baker. This construction is very common for instructions, general truths, and impersonal statements.

Can I say Kruh peče u pećnici without se?

No. Without se, peći is normally transitive, so you’d be implying that bread is baking something else. To keep the meaning, you either need the passive-like se: Kruh se peče u pećnici, or switch to active voice with an agent: Pekar peče kruh u pećnici (The baker bakes bread in the oven).

How would I say it in active voice with a clear agent?

Neutral, present: Pekar peče kruh u pećnici.
If you’re the one baking: Ja pečem kruh u pećnici.
Completed action (perfective): Pekar je ispekao kruh u pećnici.

What tense/aspect is peče? Does it mean “is baking” or “bakes”?

Peče is simple present. Croatian doesn’t have a dedicated continuous tense, so it can mean either:

ongoing right now (context helps): Kruh se upravo peče u pećnici (right now);
habitual/generic: Kruh se peče u pećnici (bread is baked in ovens, generally). For a completed event, switch to a perfective verb or a passive result:
Kruh se ispekao / Kruh je ispečen (The bread got baked / is baked).

Why is it peče and not peći or peće?

Peći is the infinitive (“to bake”).
Peče is 3rd person singular present (“bakes/is baking”). The verb is irregular. Present tense:
ja pečem, ti pečeš, on/ona/ono peče, mi pečemo, vi pečete, oni/one/ona peku. Past: pekla/pekao/pekli. Passive participle: pečen/pečena/pečeno. Perfective partner: ispeći (e.g., ispečem, ispeku; past ispekao/ispekla; passive ispečen).

Where can se go? Can I move the words around?

Yes, but follow clitic placement: se tends to sit in 2nd position in the clause. All of these are fine, with different emphasis:

Kruh se peče u pećnici. (neutral, subject first)
U pećnici se peče kruh. (focus on location)
Peče se kruh u pećnici. (verb-first, typical for descriptions/processes) Avoid: Kruh peče se u pećnici (wrong placement of se).

What case is u pećnici, and when would it change?

U pećnici uses the locative case for a static location (in the oven).

Location (where?): u pećnici (locative)
Motion into (where to?): u pećnicu (accusative)
Motion out of (from where?): iz pećnice (genitive)

Does pećnica just mean “oven”? How is it different from peć or rerna?

pećnica = the kitchen oven (standard Croatian).
peć = a stove/heater (e.g., a wood-burning stove), not the kitchen oven.
rerna = “oven” in Serbian; you’ll hear it regionally, but standard Croatian prefers pećnica.

How do I pronounce and spell č vs ć in peče and pećnici? Why are they different letters?

č in peče is a harder “ch,” like English “ch” in “chocolate” ([t͡ʃ]).
ć in pećnici is a softer, more “sharpened” sound ([t͡ɕ]), a bit like “t” + “y.” This verb alternates in spelling: infinitive peći (with ć), but present peče (with č). Note also the imperative: peci! (with plain c), and plural pecite!

Why is there no word for “the” before “bread”?

Croatian has no articles. Kruh can mean “bread,” “a bread,” or “the bread,” depending on context. If you must specify, you add detail: onaj kruh, taj kruh, ovaj kruh (that/this bread), or a possessive (moj tvoj njegov…).

Why “kruh” and not “hljeb/hleb”?

They’re regional standards:

kruh = standard Croatian
hljeb = Bosnian/Montenegrin
hleb = Serbian They’re mutually intelligible but tied to different standards.

Is kruh countable? How do I talk about loaves and types?

Kruh is usually a mass noun. For a single loaf, say:

štruca kruha (a loaf of bread)
krušna štruca (loaf) Plural kruhovi exists but is used mostly for types or multiple loaves in certain contexts: razni kruhovi (various breads).

How would I include the agent (“by the baker”) in a passive?

The se-passive doesn’t naturally take an explicit agent. To name the doer, use:

active voice: Pekar peče kruh u pećnici.
or the true passive with a formal agent phrase: Kruh je (bio) pečen od strane pekara. (grammatical but formal; everyday speech prefers the active)

How do I negate this?

Place ne before the verb and keep se in its clitic slot:

Kruh se ne peče u mikrovalnoj (pećnici). If you front the negation, se follows the first stressed word:
Ne peče se kruh u mikrovalnoj (pećnici).

Could I say “on the oven” with na pećnici?

No, not for baking. U pećnici = inside the oven (correct for baking). Na pećnici = on top of the oven/stove, which would be unusual for bread. Use na for surfaces; u for enclosed spaces.

Are there other common collocations with peći I should know?

Yes:

peći kolač/kekse (bake a cake/cookies)
peći meso/krumpir u pećnici (roast meat/potatoes in the oven)
pečen krumpir/pečeno meso (roast potatoes/roast meat)
Metaphorical: Sunce peče (the sun is scorching).