Polish Open-Faced Sandwich (Zapiekanka) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Polish zapiekanka? ›

A zapiekanka (Polish pronunciation: [zapʲɛˈkaŋka]; plural: zapiekanki, pronounced [zapʲɛˈkaŋkʲi]) is a toasted open-face sandwich made of a sliced baguette or other long roll of bread, topped with sautéed white mushrooms, cheese and sometimes other ingredients such as ham.

Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer. Polish open-faced sandwiches (also known as French-bread pizzas) are popular street food in the bigger cities of Poland. They're known as zapiekanki (plural) or zapiekanka (zah-peeyeh-KAHN-kah), which is singular.

Zapiekanka first appeared in Polish bars in the early seventies when the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party, Edward Gierek, bought a licence to produce baguettes from the French.

Open Face

An open face sandwich fulfills the second definition of the word “sandwich” which is one slice of bread covered in food. Foods like eggs benedict or avocado toast would both be considered open faced sandwiches as would sweeter sandwiches like cream cheese and strawberries on a slice of bread or toast.

Bigos stew is the national dish of Poland. It can be made with any kind of meat from pork to rabbit or venison, but should always have spicy Polish sausage.

Poles often start the day with meat or eggs. They commonly have what they call 'a sandwich', meaning a slice of bread topped with cold cuts or kiełbasa, or scrambled eggs. There can also be a side of dairy – either kefir, or quark cheese mixed with radishes. Sometimes marinated herrings will make an appearance.

Whether highbrow or everyday, Polish sandwich cuisine draws from a long tradition that may just surprise you. Kanapki (from the French word "canapés") appeared in Poland at the end of the 19^th century thanks to French cuisine. Smaller open sandwiches, or canapés, were actually called “tartinki”.

The pizza we know and love today — with tomato sauce, melted cheese, and toppings — was invented in Naples, Italy in the mid-1700s. But the beginnings of the cuisine date back to Ancient Greece and Rome, where flatbreads topped with olives, onions, and other fresh ingredients were made.

Zapiekanki are one of the most popular Polish street foods. You could also call them Polish pizza – it's basically French bread topped with sauteed mushrooms (and sometimes ham), melted cheese, and ketchup.

The open-face sandwich has its origins in Scandinavian countries like Denmark and Sweden. The simple concept of putting a piece of bread on top of another piece of bread, with some sort of filling in between, dates back to the Middle Ages.

What is a fancy name for an open-face sandwich? ›

On this page you'll find 10 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to open-faced sandwich, such as: blt, hero, hoagy/hoagie, reuben, sub, and club sandwich.

If you're dining in a setting where formal dining etiquette is expected, eat a hot open-faced sandwich with a fork and knife, even if it could be eaten with your hands.

Zapiekanki are one of the most popular Polish street foods. You could also call them Polish pizza – it's basically French bread topped with sauteed mushrooms (and sometimes ham), melted cheese, and ketchup. So simple to make, yet so delicious!

Podpłomyk (from Polish pod – 'under', płomyk – 'flame'; plural: podpłomyki), known in Old Polish as wychopień or wychopieniek, is the oldest known Slavic form of bread, in the form of a small flatbread baked on an open fire. It has been preserved to the modern day as a part of Polish cuisine.

Kolaczki are flaky biscuits, with a dough made of butter and cream cheese and a filling of jam. Kolaczki biscuits are traditionally made for Christmas and other holidays in Poland and other eastern European countries.

You can buy French baguettes, Italian ciabattas, our favourite kaiser rolls and graham rolls pretty much everywhere, yet the true, iconic Polish bread is the sourdough, which means there is no yeast added, but all the leavening work is done by a sourdough starter, which you need to make a few days in advance.