Main dish
Classic Flammkuchen with Bacon and Onions
Intermediateshared by Nibblore Deutsch
This classic German Flammkuchen pairs a paper-thin, crisp base with creamy soured cream, mild onions and smoky bacon. A thoroughly preheated baking tray and a very hot oven help the dough cook in minutes without becoming soggy beneath the topping. Serve it straight from the oven with a simple green salad. • Roll the dough until it is truly paper-thin; a thick base will turn out bready rather than crisp. • Very thin onion slices will cook through during the short baking time. If the slices are thicker, blanch them in a little hot water for 2 minutes, then dry thoroughly. • Preheat the baking tray upside down so the Flammkuchen can slide onto it without the raised rim getting in the way. • If your oven only reaches 230°C, extend the baking time to around 7–9 minutes and look for a well-browned, dry base. • You can replace the soured cream and crème fraîche with 200 g crème fraîche for a slightly richer topping. • Plain flour can be used instead of strong white flour, though it may require 1–2 tsp less water depending on the brand. • For a milder smoky flavour, replace the smoked streaky bacon with unsmoked streaky bacon. Flammkuchen is best eaten straight from the oven. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days, then reheat on a preheated baking tray at 220°C for about 5 minutes. Unbaked dough bases separated with baking paper can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month; thaw them in the fridge before adding the toppings.
Ingredients
- 200 gstrong white flour, plus extra for rolling
- 100 mllukewarm water
- 1 tbspneutral vegetable oil
- ½ tspfine salt
- 150 gfull-fat soured cream
- 50 gcrème fraîche
- ¼ tspfreshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tspblack pepper, plus extra to serve
- 1 pinchsalt
- 1medium yellow onion, about 130 g
- 100 gsmoked streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
- 1 tbspfinely snipped chives
Instructions
- 1Mix the flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Add the water and oil, then stir with a spoon until combined. Knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- 2While the dough rests, place a heavy baking tray upside down, or a pizza stone, on the middle shelf. Preheat the oven to 250°C conventional for at least 20 minutes.
- 3Mix the soured cream, crème fraîche, nutmeg, black pepper and 1 pinch of salt until smooth. Peel and halve the onion, then slice it into the thinnest possible half-moons, about 2 mm thick.
- 4Divide the dough in half. Keep one half covered and roll the other out on a lightly floured sheet of baking paper into a very thin oval, approximately 24 x 32 cm. Press down any thick edges with your fingertips.
- 5Spread half the cream mixture thinly over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border all around. Loosely scatter over half the onion and bacon strips, taking care not to overload the base.
- 6Carefully slide the Flammkuchen, still on its baking paper, onto the hot tray or pizza stone. Bake at 250°C for 5–6 minutes, until the edge is deeply browned, the base is dry and crisp, and the bacon is lightly roasted.
- 7Remove the first Flammkuchen from the oven and discard the baking paper. Shape the second Flammkuchen on a fresh sheet of baking paper using the remaining dough and toppings, then bake for another 5–6 minutes.
- 8Sprinkle both Flammkuchen with chives and a little freshly ground black pepper. Cut into pieces and serve immediately while hot.