5 Questions for... Kati Wilhelm

Kati Wilhelm's Secret to Success as a Restaurateur

Kati Wilhelm is known to everyone from biathlon. Today, she passionately runs her personal and cozy restaurant "Heimatlon" and is the proud owner of a Valoriani wood-fired oven. She was kind enough to answer 5 questions for us and shared a delicious recipe. Read for yourselves:

1. What prompted you to open a restaurant? 

I myself love going out to eat, enjoy having a snack and drink somewhere cozy, ideally outside on a sunny terrace in good weather.
After I returned to Thuringia, my homeland, I thought to bring the impressions I gained from my time of "traveling" as a biathlete here and create a place where tourists as well as locals can experience the feeling of comfort and unwinding from work, just as I always enjoy or have enjoyed it. Entering a completely new field was, of course, a challenge, but one I was very much looking forward to.

2. What makes your oven special to you and what is your favorite dish?

The fact that there is a wood-fired oven in my restaurant was rather a coincidence. And my plan wasn't to offer the classic pizza either. It was important to me to create a special experience for the guests, and with the idea of an open kitchen and the wood-fired oven, we definitely succeeded. Here, we make our unique creations, the "Urfladen," topped with seasonal and regional ingredients, sometimes more classical and hearty but occasionally with some unusual twists, always with a special touch due to our generally homemade ingredients.
The wood-fired oven naturally creates a very special ambiance. It emits coziness and, in the truest sense of the word, warmth. The guest can watch as their meal is prepared. They see the chef's actions and thereby gain more appreciation for their work.
Thanks to the open fire and the stone floor, the food acquires a very different aroma and a higher quality than in a conventional oven. The dough becomes crispier and lighter. But we also prepare steaks and other meat dishes in our oven.
I also enjoy inviting school classes or kindergarten groups to bake pizzas with me or, during the Christmas season, cookies.

3. What is your tip for amateur cooks who have a wood-fired oven?

As a hobby cook, you should ideally plan for many guests or bake in advance for a longer period because once the oven has reached its temperature, you can work with it for several hours. At the beginning, you should just experiment a bit to find the best timing and suitable temperature for the respective product.

4. Where or for whom would you like to cook?

I love cooking for my family and friends the most, because what could be more wonderful than enjoying what you've prepared yourself with the people you love spending time with. Additionally, cooking with the wood-fired oven also makes for a great event-party with friends and family.
In my restaurant, I leave the cooking to the professionals since they're accustomed to delivering high quality even under time pressure.

5. Will you share your favorite recipe with us, which we could publish on our blog? 

Steinbacher Urfladen

Urfladen dough:

• 200g wheat flour
• 100g rye flour
• 100ml water
• 100ml milk
• 1 packet dry yeast
• 20g sugar
• 15g salt
• 25ml balsamic vinegar
• 50ml sunflower oil

Mix flour types, sugar, and salt for the dough and knead with the other ingredients to create a soft dough. Let the dough rise for 90 minutes at 26 degrees Celsius, portion, roll out, and top as desired.

For the topping, just check the fridge and get creative. The base is always sour cream and Gouda cheese.
Kati recommends:

• grilled green asparagus, beef ham, and red onion
• diced vegetables and caramelized sunflower seeds, and green seasoning

You can find more ideas and recipes in Kati's "The Heimathlon Cookbook".