Zapiekanki (Polish Pizza)
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 teaspoon 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.
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!
Wishing you continued success on your blog. It's so cool you're planning a trip to Poland! Great recipe! Happy New Year!
Can't wait to see everything you've got in store for 2014, especially the homemade pantry staples!
Oh, your goals are fantastic! So is the pizza, it's something that can be easily made at a moments notice.
This sounds like a fantastic dish anytime. Easy, handy and delicious!
Wishing both of you a happy, healthy, and successful 2014. ~ Bea @ The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Street food is the best way to enter a culture. I love it. And love this recipe! Hope you have a wonderful New Year!
Wow! Such an interesting dish and it sounds so tasty too! I'm looking forward to seeing some of your homemade panty staples in 2014!
I'm not sure why I never encountered zapiekanki when I went to Poland and, reading this post and looking at the pics, I wish I'd have come across it! Polish food is vastly under-rated, and so good in winter - especially with lashings of sour cream and a shot or two of vodka to wash it all down. Makes me want to visit Poland again - need to visit Krakow and Warsaw next time!
I love your goals for 2014! This pizza will make a great weeknight supper!
I love your foodie goals for 2014...as much as I love this quick Polish pizza! Happy New Year, Sarah!
You have so many adventures planned for 2014, Love it! Can't wait to follow along.
What wonderful goals you have for 2014! I wish you big success with all of them and look forward to your posts next year.
How intriguing! Was wondering what Polish pizza might be like. Looks like great "game food," too.
Congratulations on your success! It has been such a pleasure watching you grow and I look forward to seeing where 2014 will take you. I hope we have the opportunity to meet IRL this upcoming year!
I love your plans for the coming year!! I love gardening, and can't wait until we settle down and have the ability to garden. It is so satisfying to place something on the table that you were there for from the beginning. Happy New Year!