How To Make Flammkuchen
A long time ago I read a statistic which said that 95% of all Americans eat pizza. That is a lot of pizza. I am a proud participant in this eating of pizza. I like pizza and I am not ashamed to say that I like all kinds of pizza – Roman pizza topped with french fries, neapolitan pizza from a brick oven, Greek pizza, even vegan pizza. All this talk of pizza makes me want to eat pizza. But there are great alternatives that I fear most people will never experience. Imagine pizza given a French-German makeover. When you are in Alsace, where France and Germany meet, it is Flammkuchen not pizza that is tops. A crispy thin crust with a creamy sauce topped lightly with onion and bacon. It is good. So good, everyone should know How To Make Flammkuchen and take the chance to eat it!
How To Make Flammkuchen – The Crust
Let’s just account for some of the difference between pizza and flammkuchen. First, the crust. There are indeed thin crispy crust pizzas, but there are no thick crust flammkuchen. Thin, crispy and even flaky describe the flammkuchen crust. It is not a yeast risen dough that makes the crust, but one closer to a baking powder raised cracker. I like the crust on the more crispy-thin side.
How To Make Flammkuchen – The Sauce
The sauce is not one of tomatoes. As you might guess, the French influence demands something richer and creamier. To the French, Flammkuchen is call Tarte Flambee. This is certainly a name that calls for creamy sauce! Classically, the sauce is a mix of fromage blanc – white fresh cheese – and creme fraiche. Although it could be a slap in the face, an unintentional one mind you, I like to use mascarpone cheese. Not because it is Italian, but because it is easy to find. Fromage blanc is not that available at my grocery store. In a real pinch, you can use cream cheese. I don’t really veer from creme fraiche, but in a pinch, sour cream could do the trick. It is just less nuanced. When this sauce is cooked it becomes so creamy and delicious that your pizza eating days could be numbered….or at least reduced!
How To Make Flammkuchen – The Toppings
Another difference between pizza and flammkuchen is that the toppings are slightly more narrow. Classically, flammkuchen is topped with onion and bacon. I have seen a few ham, hollandaise and asparagus or pear and münster cheese variations, even a minced beef and apple chutney, but the first one on the list is always bacon and onion. It is a great start. The fresh cheese, smoky bacon and sweetness of the onions lands me in Alsace every time I eat it.
It is worth noting that if you have a pizza stone, flammkuchen is a perfect use for it. If no, no worries. A very hot oven -500F- and a baking tray will work fine.
So, when you are looking for something new to try – give flammkuchen or tarte flambee a try. The “How To Make Flammkuchen” video is below and the full recipe follows.
- 6 strips smoked bacon
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese or fromage blanc or cream cheese at room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup crème fraîche
- 1⁄8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- Salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp water plus more
- Preheat the oven to 500F.
- Finely chop the bacon.
- Thinly slice the onion.
- Stir flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. You can add a few cracks of black pepper, too. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Whisk oil, eggs, and water together in a small bowl. Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Using a fork, stir together until a dough forms. Add water if it is dry. Pour out the dough onto a floured surface.
- Knead dough for 2-3 minutes until it comes together. Divide dough into 3 pieces.
- Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into a circle that fits your baking pan. Spray the pan with non-stick spray.
- Place the round of dough on to the pan.
- With a whisk, mix the mascarpone, crème fraîche, nutmeg, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving a border around edge.
- Top with chopped bacon and slices of onion.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the bacon is cooked through, 9–10 minutes.
- Repeat.
- You could use other toppings. Instead of this sauce use a hollandaise and top with ham and asparagus.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
Did you know How To Make Flammkeuchen? Is it better than pizza? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.
The Culinary Exchange can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
Come On! Follow Along!
