Name: Klepacze — Kujavian potato cakes cooked on fajerki
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings (12 small cakes)
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1,200 g starchy potatoes, peeled weight; 150 g yellow onion, peeled; 110 g rye flour; 6 g fine salt; 1 g ground black pepper

A wide view of „Klepacze — Kujavian potato cakes cooked on fajerki“ arranged on a table for serving.

Yield 6 servings (12 small cakes)

Serving 2 cakes, about 200 g cooked; actual weight varies with potato moisture

Prep time 25 minutes

Cook time about 50 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Recipe at a glance

Klepacze — Kujavian potato cakes cooked on fajerki

Small, thin potato cakes from Kujawy, traditionally cooked directly on the iron rings or plate of a coal stove. This home version uses a dry cast-iron pan, with no added oil.

Klepacze are grated-potato cakes from the Kuyavian region (Kujawy), in north-central Poland. The name is also recorded alongside local variants such as chlastoki. Poland's Traditional Products List registers the dish for Kujawsko-Pomorskie and describes small, flat cakes about 10 cm across: browned on top, golden-yellow with darker toasted spots, and compact but flexible inside.

The traditional cooking surface was the clean iron plate or rings of a coal-fired kitchen stove, known as fajerki. The official description gives a simple base of grated potatoes, a little salt, grated onion and rye flour. It notes that a stiffer dough with more flour helped the cakes release from the plate and turn without tearing. The small size also made them easier to handle. These regional cakes are cooked dry, with no added cooking fat.

Most home kitchens no longer have a coal stove with fajerki. This measured household adaptation keeps the direct, fat-free cooking method by using a clean, well-seasoned cast-iron pan. It uses no egg, dairy or added oil. The cakes are cooked until set and flexible, with golden surfaces and a few dark toasted freckles. The quantities make the method repeatable; they are not presented as one definitive historic or registered-producer formula.

Tips for success

Use starchy potatoes and weigh them after peeling. Grate them finely so the cakes hold together on a dry pan.
Drain the grated mixture briefly over a bowl. Let the potato starch settle, pour off the watery liquid, then scrape the starch back into the batter.
Mix in the rye flour just before cooking. Do not rest or refrigerate raw batter; grated potato quickly releases water and darkens.
Use a clean, dry, well-seasoned cast-iron pan or griddle. Preheat over medium heat. The surface should cook the cakes steadily without smoking.
Make small cakes about 10 cm across so they are easy to turn. Cook until the edges look set and the underside is golden with a few darker marks before flipping.
If the cakes blacken before the centers set, lower the heat. Brush away stuck bits and let the pan settle before continuing; do not add oil.

Ingredients

Potato batter

1,200 g starchy potatoes, peeled weight
150 g yellow onion, peeled
110 g rye flour
6 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper

Method

Directions

Prepare the dry pan and bowlsSet a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Place a clean, dry, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or griddle on the stove, but do not heat it yet. Keep a second bowl nearby for the batter. The cakes cook directly on the pan without oil, as a practical home substitute for the traditional iron fajerki plate.
Grate and drain the potatoesPeel and weigh 1,200 g potatoes. Finely grate them into the sieve over the bowl. Let them drain for about 3 minutes while you grate the onion into the same sieve. Press gently once to release excess liquid. Wait another minute for the starch to settle in the bowl, pour off the watery liquid and scrape the white starch from the bottom back into the grated potato and onion.
Season and bind the batterAdd the rye flour, 6 g fine salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until the potatoes and onion are evenly coated and the batter feels thick enough to mound on a spoon. Work promptly; do not leave the raw mixture to stand while the pan heats.
Preheat and portion small cakesHeat the dry pan over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes. Test with a small spoonful: it should begin to sizzle gently on contact without smoking. Spoon the batter into roughly 12 portions, about 100–110 g each. Press each into a thin round about 10 cm across, leaving space between cakes so you can turn them.
Cook the first sideCook in batches for about 4–5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Wait until the edges look set and the underside is golden with a few dark toasted spots before sliding a thin spatula underneath. If a cake sticks, give it another minute rather than forcing it loose.
Turn, finish and serveTurn each cake carefully and cook the second side for about 4–5 minutes, until the center is cooked through and the cake is compact but flexible. Transfer to a warm plate and continue with the remaining batter. Do not stack tightly while steaming, or the toasted surfaces will soften. Serve promptly while warm.

Nutrition per serving

Energy250 kcal
Carbohydrate51 g
Protein7 g
Fat2 g
Fibre6 g
Sodium420 mg
Allergensrye, a gluten-containing cereal; check flour for cross-contact if avoiding gluten

Approximate values for two cakes, one-sixth of the batch: These are estimates from generic potato, onion, rye flour and salt values, not a laboratory analysis. Potato variety, drained liquid and retained starch affect the final numbers.

Serving, make-ahead, and storage: Serve two small klepacze per person. Their dry-cooked surface and firm texture make them easy to eat on their own; the registered dish is not defined by a topping, so this version adds none. For a batch meal, cook in successive batches and serve right away.

Serving, make-ahead, and storage: Do not grate or mix the batter ahead: it releases water and darkens. You can peel the potatoes shortly before cooking, but grate and mix them just before the pan is ready. If you must hold the cooked cakes before serving, keep them at or above 60 °C.

Serving, make-ahead, and storage: Cool cooked leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if the room is above 32 °C). Refrigerate at or below 4 °C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat thoroughly to 74 °C. The cakes may soften after refrigeration; reheat them in a dry skillet and serve once hot throughout.

Frequently asked questions

What does fajerki mean?

Fajerki are the removable iron rings or cooking plate on a traditional coal-fired kitchen stove. The registered method cooks the cakes directly on that clean iron surface. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is a practical modern home adaptation, not the same appliance.

Are klepacze fried in oil?

The traditional description says they were cooked directly on the iron plate. This version also uses a dry, well-seasoned cast-iron surface, with no added oil.

Why use rye flour?

The official record and older descriptions list rye flour. A relatively firm batter helps small cakes release and turn on the hot iron surface without egg or added oil.