Flammekeuche, or Tarte Flambée is essentially a bacon and onion pizza that is not only easy to make, but only requires a handful of ingredients. It’s a testament to how delicious simplicity can be!
I visited Alsace a while back, and Tarte Flambée was my favorite thing we had! From the first time it hit my plate, I was hooked. It’s made with fromage blanc (or crème fraiche), thinly sliced onions, and lardons (or fatty bacon). Tarte flambée is very close to the version I had in Alsace. It’s smoky, tangy, and honestly ridiculously good. Don’t stress and make your own pizza dough. You can buy good-quality pizza dough at your local grocery store or pizza shop, top it with a few simple ingredients, and bake until golden brown – and the whole kitchen smells like heaven.
Looking for another simply yet flavor-packed dish? Find yourself another win with my Cacio e Pepe– it’s ultra creamy and requires only 4 ingredients!
Flammekueche (Tarte Flambée)
Tarte flambée is a classic tart from Alsace, France which is a region bordering Germany. In German, it’s called Flammekueche (pronounced flam-KOOK-en). This tart is basically a bacon and onion pizza with French and German influences.
Flammekueche translates to “flame cake” in English because it’s traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven, where the intense heat causes the edges of the crust to become slightly charred. In French, it means “flame tart”, carrying the same meaning. This recipe does not require a wood-fired oven, so don’t worry!
Tarte Flambée Ingredients
- White pizza dough – you can use either homemade or store-bought! Your local grocery store usually sells fresh pizza dough or you can typically find pre-made pizza dough in the refrigerated or freezer section near the biscuits and crescent rolls.
- White onions – white onions have a crisp, clean taste with a subtle bite.
- Thick cut black forest bacon – thick cut bacon has a meatier texture and a bigger bacon bite! Black forest bacon is extra smoky, originating in Germany which is perfect for this French-German tart. Sub with thick cut Applewood smoked bacon if preferred.
- Crème fraiche – crème fraiche is the classic base sauce for Tarte Flambée. It is rich and creamy, similar to sour cream with a milder flavor and a higher fat content. It can be found in the dairy or specialty food section of most grocery stores typically near the sour cream and yogurt. Sub with fromage blanc if preferred.
- Egg yolk – egg yolk adds richness and helps bind the toppings to the crust.
- Cornmeal – regular yellow cornmeal or stone ground cornmeal will work!
- Fresh nutmeg – a dusting of nutmeg adds a subtle warmth to finish the dish.
How To Make Tarte Flambée
Learn how to make tarte flambée! Full instructions in the recipe card; this is an outline!
- Slice.
Preheat oven to 400℉. Cut bacon into small pieces.
- Cook.
Cook bacon in a medium pot until just cooked but not crispy. Drain the excess fat.
- Add.
Add sliced white onions to the pot with the bacon.
- Sweat.
Sweat onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until onions begin to wilt. Turn the burner off and then set aside.
- Stir.
Add crème fraiche and egg yolk to a small separate bowl and stir until combined.
- Stretch.
Add a thin layer of cornmeal to a large baking sheet. Stretch pizza dough as thinly as possible without breaking it.
- Add.
Add crème fraiche to the pizza dough, leaving a ½ inch crust border without toppings. The crème fraiche serves as the “sauce”.
- Add more.
Add a generous amount of the bacon/onion mixture. Make sure to leave a crust border!
- Dust.
Using a microplane or a fine cheese grater, dust pizza with nutmeg.
- Bake.
Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
What To Drink With Tarte Flambée
I recommend enjoying tarte flambée with a crisp lager or dry riesling like they would in Alsace or Germany! Both pair beautifully with the savory and slightly smoky flavors of the dish.
Tips And Tricks
- Single layer of toppings. To remain true to the classic, add a generous amount of bacon and onion without forming piles is key. The goal is to keep the toppings in a single layer as best as possible!
- Don’t overcook bacon or onions. Both the bacon and the onions will continue to cook when you bake the whole pizza. Because of this, if either the bacon or the onions are overcooked prior, they will burn or become too crispy. Make sure to pull the bacon from the heat once cooked-through but not yet crispy and the onions right after they start to wilt.
- Use good-quality pizza dough. The better the pizza dough, the better the tart.
More Bacon Recipes You’ll Love!
Easy Tarte Flambée (Bacon & Onion Pizza)
Ingredients
- 22 ounce pizza dough, (rough size) homemade or store-bought
- 2 medium white onions, sliced thinly but not paper thin
- 8 ounces thick cut black forest bacon
- 6 ounces crème fraiche, (rough amount depending on dough size)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Cut bacon into small pieces.
- Cook bacon in a medium pot until just cooked but not crispy. Drain excess fat from pot.
- Add sliced white onions to pot with bacon, and sweat onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until onions wilt slightly. Turn burner off and set aside.
- In a small separate bowl, add crème fraiche and egg yolk. Stir until combined. Set aside.
- Add a thin layer of cornmeal to a large baking sheet. Stretch pizza dough as thinly as possible without breaking the dough.
- Add crème fraiche “sauce” to pizza dough, leaving a ½ inch crust border without toppings.
- Add bacon-onion mixture. Topping quantity shouldn’t be “heaping” but generous. Make sure to leave a crust border!
- Use a microplane or the fine setting of a cheese grater to dust pizza with nutmeg.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
Video
Notes
- If you can’t find black forest bacon, you can use applewood smoked.
- Crème fraiche or formage blanc work!
- You can use pre-ground nutmeg if you don’t have access to whole nutmeg!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
