The traditional Polish street food, Zapiekanki, are reminiscent of a French bread pizza, but the toppings are what make this Polish pizza unique.
Polish Pizza.. Yes It’s A Thing
Zapiekanka (pronounced zah-pay-KAN-kah) (plural: Zapiekanki) comes from the Polish word zapiekać, meaning “to scorch” or “to roast.”
It is a traditional Polish street food where a halved baguette is topped with mushrooms and cheese. They are then oven-toasted until crispy and topped with ketchup.
Yes. Ketchup.
While you wouldn’t expect to find pizza in Poland, these street food pizzas are incredibly common, and SO tasty!
Our Zapiekanki Recipe
Breaking with tradition, we used slices of French bread rather than a halved baguette for our Polish pizza recipe. Feel free to use whichever you prefer as you make your own!
The topping for this pizza re incredibly simple. Just saute some mushrooms and onions together with a little salt and pepper.
That’s it!
The simplicity of the mushroom and onion filling and smooth mozzarella cheese pairs surprisingly well with the ketchup that is always used as a zapiekanki topper.
Seriously, these Polish pizzas might be surprising, but they make for an incredibly tasty meal and the perfect walking street food!
(If you want to check out the Zapiekanki we ate on the streets of Poland, check out our pictures on our About Us page!)
Zapiekanki (Polish Pizza)
Ingredients
- 1 tsp butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½ French baguette, halved lengthwise, or 4 slices of a French bread loaf
- 1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Ketchup (to top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat oil. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for 5 min, until soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place baguette halves (or bread slices) on a baking sheet. Top with mushroom mixture and cheese.
- Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Top with ketchup to serve.
Nutrition
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Bill in Houston
Friday 29th of May 2020
Chop up some kielbasa and toss it in with the mushrooms and onions. It kicks the recipe "up a notch."
I first heard about zapiekanki at a Polish church festival here in Houston. They were selling them with and without the sausage. I just had to have them again, so I looked up your recipe (then added the sausage).
Sarah Ozimek
Monday 1st of June 2020
Oh, that sounds lovely! We will definitely be trying this the next time we make these!
Marie Czarnecki
Tuesday 3rd of July 2018
Great recipe. I checked this out because I am "AMERICAN POLISH" send more my way..
Sarah Ozimek
Tuesday 3rd of July 2018
So glad you like it! This is definitely a favorite of ours!
Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba)
Monday 30th of December 2013
Good luck with your garden!! I know from experience it is the most frustrating and rewarding undertaking apart from raising children there is. Thanks for being part of #SS
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
Monday 30th of December 2013
I'm not much into mushrooms, but my Husband would love this, I just must make it for him!! Happy New Years!!
Brianne Izzo (CupcakeKaleChip)
Sunday 29th of December 2013
Hmmm, maybe this is why my Polish grandma used to make English Muffin Pizzas with ketchup. We just thought it was weird. And making pierogies is a lot of work, but a lot of fun. My Hubby and I make them every Christmas - over 12 dozen this year! Good luck!