Currywurst Pizza

Currywurst is a German street food classic. Invented in the late 1940s in Berlin by kiosk owner Herta Heuwer, this spicy sausage is a riff on bratwurst, and it’s incredibly popular (the average German consumes 10 currywursts a year).

So, what’s in a currywurst? Well, you begin with a sliced bratwurst base (a rich pork-blend sausage seasoned with salt, pepper and maybe a little marjoram, caraway seed, nutmeg or garlic), pour a generous amount of curried tomato sauce over the top and finish with a dash of curry powder. Full-sized cutlery? No. Tiny wooden fork? Yes.

In Germany, currywurst recipes vary from region to region. Most sausage experts agree that currywurst began as a thing in Berlin — but these days, the Ruhr valley region also has a special relationship with this ready-to-eat treat. Case in point: Bochum’s very own Herbert Grönemeyer once dedicated a slightly tongue-in-cheek song to the humble currywurst.

Pizza and currywurst have a lot in common. They’re both comfort foods, and they’re both delicious: Combining them into one mouthwatering dish just makes sense.

Recently, Ooni ambassador Julia (@manopasto) invented a homemade curry sauce of her very own — an updated version, if you will, of Heuwer’s original Chillup sauce. Apples, orange juice, and just a touch of cola add sweetness to the paprika-enhanced tomato base. We think it’s delicious.

(By the way — currywurst usually comes with fries. For a fully authentic “currywurst pommes” experience, add a handful of your favorite fast food fries to the pizza post-bake.)

Currywurst Pizza

1: Remove the dough from the fridge at least 2 to 3 hours before baking to bring it to room temperature.

2: Put the paprika, curry powder and chili powder in a deep saucepan over medium heat, and let them warm up to activate the seasonings.

Add half the vegetable oil and mix thoroughly. Sauté the spices lightly over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, and cook the fragrant mixture for an additional minute.

3: Pour in the cola, the orange juice and the broth to deglaze the pan.

Simmer until the liquid reduces by slightly less than half.

4: Add the ketchup, the water, and the grated apple.

Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes over a low flame.

5: Warm a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the remaining vegetable oil.

Sear the bratwurst on all sides (about 3 to 5 minutes). Remove them and set them aside on a plate, reduce the heat and return the sauce to the pan.

6: Slice the bratwurst, add it to the sauce and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside. (Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)

7: Preheat your Ooni pizza oven to 450°C, using an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the stone.

8: Sprinkle your peel with a generous amount of flour or semolina, then gently stretch and shape the first dough ball into a 12-inch-round pizza base.

9: Starting from the center and moving out to the edges in a circular motion, spoon on 85 grams of curry sauce, leaving space at the edge for the crust.

Distribute a third of the sliced bratwurst evenly on the pizza.

10: Turn the heat halfway down and launch the pizza into the oven.

Bake for about 2 minutes until golden brown, turning regularly.

11: Transfer the pizza to a cooling rack and allow it to cool there for 1 to 2 minutes.

Then, transfer it to a bamboo peel or cutting board, and cut it into six slices. For an even more authentic currywurst experience, add an even layer of hot, fresh french fries to each slice.