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Authentic Zapiekanka Recipe Poland, Europe

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

Often dubbed as Polish pizza, zapiekanka is a popular Polish street food in the form of a baked open-face sandwich which can be up to 50 cm long. Although nowadays it comes in numerous varieties, classic zapiekanka is still the most popular one. It is prepared with a classic French baguette or other elongated white bread, which is cut in half lengthwise and topped with white button mushrooms sautéed on some onion. The mushrooms are sprinkled with grated cheese and toasted in an oven until the cheese melts and becomes crispy on the outside. The final touch is to drizzle the hot zapiekanka with some tomato ketchup, although some people prefer mayonnaise or spicy pepper sauce.

Cooking tips

  • bread

    Typically, zapiekanka is made with a classic French baguette. A loaf should be cut in half lengthwise, which means a regular sandwich may be up to 50 centimeters long. Alternatively, you can cut the baguette in slices under an angle, so the surface is slightly bigger. You can also choose Italian ciabatta bread or any kind of bread buns.
  • cheese

    Choose a cheese with a high content of fat which melts well, such as gouda, edam, emmental, tilsit or cheddar. To make sure the cheese melts perfectly, grate it on a coarse grater. In Poland, zapiekanka is sometimes made with smoked sheep milk cheese, such as oscypek. Feta cheese and mozzarella also work well, and you can use cream cheese as a binding agent for other ingredients, such as ham and vegetables.... Read more
  • mushrooms

    To prepare a classic mushroom topping for zapiekanka, start with simple white button mushrooms. To remove dirt, pat them with a damp kitchen towel or clean them with a soft mushroom brush. Soaking the mushrooms in water is not recommended, because they tend to become tasteless. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices or grate them on a coarse grater, and cook them on some sautéed onion for 10 minutes, ... Read more
  • toppings

    A drizzle of ketchup or mayonnaise works perfectly with any kind of zapiekanka. Apply them right after you take the zapiekanki out of the oven, or serve them on the side.
  • baking

    Zapiekanka is typically baked in an oven preheated to 180-200˚C for 3 to 10 minutes. The cheese needs to melt completely and become slightly crispy on the top. Some recipes suggest sprinkling the sides of the baguette with a little water, so it doesn’t dry out during baking.

Recipe variations

Classic Zapiekanka

PREP 15min

COOK 5min

READY IN 20min

4.7

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In this basic and classic zapiekanka recipe, soft, white baguette bread is topped with sautéed mushrooms, yellow cheese, and ketchup and takes only 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients

4 Servings

Classic Zapiekanka

500 g mushrooms

1 large onion

2-3 tbsp butter

salt

pepper

150 g yellow cheese (Gouda, Edam)

4 small baguettes

garlic powder, optional

oregano, optional

Preparation

1

Classic Zapiekanka

Step 1/6

Cut the onion into small cubes and fry it in butter until golden brown.

Step 2/6

Grate the mushrooms on a coarse grater and add them to the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, until they soften and turn brown. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. If you wish, you can also add some oregano and garlic powder. Let the mushrooms cool slightly.

Step 3/6

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grate the cheese and cut each baguette in half lengthwise.

Step 4/6

Spread the mushrooms over the halved baguettes and sprinkle them generously with grated cheese.

Step 5/6

Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Step 6/6

Drizzle with ketchup or mayonnaise and serve hot.

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