Tarte Flambée or Flammkuchen

Summer is gone and fall is here. The hot weather said good-bye, and we can slowly prepare for the cooler season. Fall is a wonderful season, especially for photographers: the light is special, the air is clear and the fall or autumn colors are just breathtaking.

Also in the kitchen their will be some changes. The light, sweet and fruity summer dishes slowly change into more savory, ‘hearty’ dishes. One of these is the Flammkuchen which you can find in many parts of Germany, France, Belgium and other countries. It’s a typical Alsace specialty, also Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, a region that is today part German and part French. You drink some young wine, like Federweisser, with it, best sitting outside in the garden with friends.

It has a few names, all similar, like Flammeküacha, Flammekuechle Tarte Flambée or Flammkuchen. It looks like a pizza but the dough is actually a bread dough, just very thinly rolled out. Traditionally the topping is made of onion rings, bacon cubes and crème fraĭche (seasoned with salt and pepper). But like always there are many variations.

The Flammkuchen once was used to verify the temperature in the wood-fired oven. If the dough would be cooked too fast the oven was not yet ready for the bread which needs a lightly cooler environment. So practically the people used a little bread dough, rolled it out thinly, topped it with something simple like creme, onions and bacon and put the ‘heat-tester’ in the oven. Burning it it would be less ‘hurtful’ than a whole bread!

I used the same dough I used for a baguette and as topping I omit the crème fraĭche and instead put a couple of eggs. This was a perfect lunch for me, together with a salad.

Did you ever heard about Flammkuchen? Did you try it? Did you like it? Was it a traditional one? Did you have Federweisser or other young wine with it? Don’t mix up the Flammkuchen with Onion Cake which is made completely different!

Baguette
Baguette
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Passive Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Passive Time
1 hour
Baguette
Baguette
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Passive Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Passive Time
1 hour
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until you get a smooth bread dough. Cover the dough with some saran wrap and let the dough rise for one hour in a warm ambiance.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F.
  3. With wet hands divide the bread dough into 4 equal pieces and form with your hands a small baguette. Put every one in one of the baguette baking forms.
  4. Place a bowl with water on the bottom of the oven and the baguette baking tray mid-height.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden on the top.
  6. When they are ready take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before eating,
Recipe Notes

You should not eat any baking goods with yeast when they are still warm, but it is so delicious, especially with some herb butter!

As the little baguettes are like long rolls, it is not necessary to cut them in slices.

If you prefer a bigger baguette, just take another baguette baking form (for two big) and bake for 30 minutes.

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2 Responses to Tarte Flambée or Flammkuchen

  1. Hasi says:

    Nice article, great photos!

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