Tarte flambée – the crispy delicacy from Alsace

Tarte flambée – the crispy delicacy from Alsace

At the beginning of the wine season, when the first young wines are served, this classic Alsatian dish is a popular choice at the region’s wine festivals, and in neighbouring wine regions such as the Palatinate and Baden.

A base made of yeast dough rolled as thinly as possible, topped with ham, onions and sour cream – that’s all you really need to conjure this classic crispy dish from the oven. In the past, the tarte flambée (known in German as Flammkuchen, or, depending on the region, as Flammekueche or Hitzkuchen) was usually baked in the wood-burning oven before the bread. This made it possible to use the initial heat while the coal was still burning and the flames dancing (hence the name “Flammkuchen”, literally “flame cake”). In addition, this made it easier to estimate the temperature of the oven. If the tarte flambée was ready quickly, they would have to wait before baking the bread, to allow the oven to cool a little. If it took a long time, they knew they had to get the oven a little hotter.

Those who want to savour a little more than the standard Alsatian classic can choose their own toppings. Sheep and goat’s cheese add a sophisticated touch, and rosemary leaves, chopped tomato (without seeds), olives, goat’s cheese and a little honey add a Mediterranean note. The ham can be replaced by slices of mushroom and some additional seasoning for the sour cream or quark. Apples or pears with cinnamon are the perfect toppings for a sweet tarte flambée, or why not try summer fruit such as strawberries and rhubarb – the possibilities are (almost) boundless when baking tarte flambée. We’ve gone without yeast in our recipe.

Text: Regine Smith-Thyme
 

Tarte flambée
 

4 pieces

2 tbsp. rapeseed oil (30 g), 175 g wheat flour and some flour for the worktop (white flour), 75 g spelt flour, salt, 120 g regular quark (40% fat), 120 g crème fraîche, ground black pepper, (freshly grated) nutmeg, 80 g bacon (thinly sliced), 1 large onion (150 g, white or red), 1 bunch of chives (cut into fine rolls); plus: cling film, baking paper

1. Whisk the oil with 100 ml water. Mix both types of flour, 1 small tsp. salt and the oil-water in a bowl using the dough hooks of your hand mixer. Then knead everything well by hand, form a ball, wrap it in film and leave to stand for 1 hour.
2. In the meantime, mix the quark and crème fraîche with the spices. Cut the bacon rashers across into fine strips and cut the onions into small pieces.
3. Pre-heat the oven and two baking trays (on levels 1 and 3).
4. Setting: 250°C/Fan plus.
5. Divide the dough into 4 portions of around 95 g. Using a rolling pin and a lightly floured worktop, roll out each portion into an oval, 30 cm-long and very thin dough base (so that it turns nice and crispy in the oven). Place two dough bases on each sheet of baking paper. Share the quark mixture between the 4 dough bases and spread it out, leaving a finger’s width free around the edges. Then sprinkle the chopped onion and bacon strips over the dough. Put the sheets of baking paper and the tartes flambées that are on them onto the pre-heated baking trays in the oven. Turn down the temperature. Setting: 220°C/7–9 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the cooked tartes flambées and serve immediately.

Tips:

• If you have a moister topping such as vegetables, you should reduce the temperature slightly and bake for a little longer.
• You can replace the chives with rocket, basil, celery or bloody dock leaves.
• Handy trick: Roll out the dough bases, lay them out individually on appropriately sized sheets of baking paper, wrap in film and freeze. The dough bases thaw out in a few minutes while you pre-heat the oven and add the toppings.