Tarte Flambée (Alsatian Flammekueche)

About This Recipe

Tarte flambée — Flammekueche in Alsatian dialect — is the most defining dish of France's eastern Alsace region, just a few kilometers from Germany. The dough is rolled paper-thin, then topped with a smear of fromage blanc and crème fraîche, paper-thin slices of onion, and small cubes of lardon, then baked in a wood-fired oven until the dough chars at the edges and the toppings bubble. The name 'flame-baked tart' refers to its original purpose: bakers tested the heat of their wood ovens with a quick-baking flatbread before loading the day's bread. The dish is eaten communally — torn into squares with the hands, slid across the table on a wooden board, paired with Alsatian Riesling or Edelzwicker. The closest comparison is Italian pizza, but tarte flambée is its own creature: no tomato, no cheese as we know it, and a much thinner shatter-crisp base.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 1 tspfine salt
• 150 mlwarm water
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 150 gfromage blanc (or full-fat ricotta as substitute)
• 100 gcrème fraîche
• 1 good gratingfresh nutmeg
• 1/2 tspfine salt (for topping)
• 1/2 tspfreshly ground white pepper
• 2 largeyellow onions, very thinly sliced
• 200 gsmoked lardons (or thick-cut bacon, diced)
• 1 tbspneutral oil for brushing

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Whisk flour and salt in a wide bowl. Add warm water and 2 tbsp oil. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest 30 minutes — there's no yeast, so this rest just hydrates the flour.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven aggressively

   Heat oven to its maximum (250-280°C) with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray inside for at least 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Mix the topping cream

   Whisk fromage blanc, crème fraîche, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Should be the consistency of thick yogurt.

4. 4

   Slice and salt the onions

   Toss onion slices with a generous pinch of salt. Let stand 10 minutes; they'll soften and release moisture. Pat dry on paper towel — wet onions make a soggy tart.

5. 5

   Roll the dough very thin

   Cut the dough into 2 pieces. On a piece of parchment, roll each piece into a rough rectangle about 30×20 cm and 2 mm thick — paper-thin.

6. 6

   Spread the cream

   Spread a thin layer of the cream mixture over each rectangle, leaving a 1 cm border. Less is more — the cream should be a smear, not a layer.

7. 7

   Top

   Scatter sliced onions and lardons evenly. Brush the bare borders with a little oil.

8. 8

   Bake hot and fast

   Slide the parchment onto the hot stone or tray. Bake 9-12 minutes until the edges of the dough are deep brown to charred and the onions are golden, the cream bubbling.

9. 9

   Slide and serve

   Slide onto a wooden board. Cut into squares with a pizza wheel or scissors. Serve at the table immediately — diners help themselves with their hands. A glass of dry Alsatian Riesling on the side.

Variations

• •

  Tarte flambée gratinée: add grated Gruyère for a cheesier version.

• •

  Tarte flambée Forestière: add sliced mushrooms in addition to onion.

• •

  Sweet version: skip onion/lardons; top with cinnamon-sugar-apple after baking — Alsatian apple tart.

Storage

Best the moment it leaves the oven. Reheats badly — the lacy crust softens.

Frequently Asked Questions