Authentic Flammekueche Recipe: Your Guide to Traditional Alsatian Pizza (Tarte Flambée)

Flammekueche, often referred to as Alsatian Pizza or Tarte Flambée, is a culinary gem from the Alsace region of France. Far from your typical Italian pizza, this rustic, ultra-thin crust tart is traditionally topped with a simple yet incredibly flavorful blend of cream cheese and sour cream, crispy lardons (chopped bacon), and thinly sliced onions. The Alsace region, nestled on the French-German border, is celebrated for its enchanting Christmas markets, hearty homemade breads, spicy gingerbreads, and, of course, its iconic Flammekueche. This dish embodies the rich cultural fusion and gastronomic heritage of the region, offering a delightful blend of simplicity and exquisite taste.

A few years ago, we had the immense pleasure of visiting Hugo’s aunt and uncle in Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace. Strasbourg is truly a magical city, particularly enchanting during the holiday season when its historic streets transform into a dazzling Winter wonderland, adorned with festive lights and bustling Christmas markets. During our visit, a highlight was undoubtedly savoring the authentic Alsatian pizza, or flammekueche, also lovingly known as tarte flambée. This culinary experience left such an impression that we knew we had to recreate it.

While finding a truly authentic Flammekueche outside of Alsace can be a challenge, the good news is that it’s incredibly satisfying and surprisingly easy to make right in your own kitchen. You can capture the essence of Alsace and bring its traditional flavors to your home with fresh, readily available ingredients. Making your own dough, though simple, adds to the charm, and topping it with a handful of delightful ingredients will transport your taste buds straight to the heart of France.

Essential Flammekueche Ingredients

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The beauty of Flammekueche lies in its simplicity, relying on high-quality ingredients to shine. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to create this Alsatian delight:

Flour: The foundation of our thin, crispy crust. All-purpose flour works perfectly for achieving the desired texture.
Dry Yeast: Essential for a light and airy dough that bakes up beautifully.
Sugar: A small amount helps activate the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness to the dough.
Salted Butter: Contributes to the richness and texture of the dough. Softened butter is key for easy incorporation.
Salt: Balances the flavors in both the dough and the creamy topping.
Cream Cheese: Forms the luscious, tangy base, giving Flammekueche its distinctive character, unlike a tomato-based pizza.
Sour Cream: Blends with the cream cheese to create a smooth, spreadable, and slightly tart topping that caramelizes beautifully in the oven.
Nutmeg: A pinch of this warm spice adds a subtle, aromatic depth to the cream mixture, elevating the overall flavor profile.
Organic Lardons (chopped bacon): These small, smoky pieces of bacon are a quintessential topping, providing a salty, savory crunch.
Onion: Thinly sliced onions, often raw, soften and sweeten as they cook, adding a delicate sharpness and essential texture to the Flammekueche.

Tips for Crafting the Perfect Alsatian Pizza

Making Flammekueche at home is a rewarding experience, and a few key tips can elevate your results from good to exceptional:

Quality Lardons Matter: For the best flavor and texture, always choose high-quality lardons or bacon. We highly recommend using organic bacon for its clean taste. If you are looking for organic bacon, we love the clean, organic meats offered by Butcher Box. Cook them slightly before adding to ensure they are crispy.
Thin Crust is Key: The defining characteristic of Flammekueche is its incredibly thin crust. Roll the dough as thinly as possible – almost paper-thin – without tearing it. This ensures a crisp bite, reminiscent of traditional wood-fired tarts.
High Heat, Short Bake: Flammekueche bakes quickly at a very high temperature. This technique allows the crust to crisp up, the onions to soften, and the lardons to become perfectly golden without drying out the creamy base.
Don’t Overload: While tempting to pile on toppings, less is more with Flammekueche. The thin crust can’t support heavy ingredients, and a sparse distribution allows each component’s flavor to shine.
Fresh Onions: Slice your onions as thinly as possible. A mandoline slicer can be very helpful here to achieve uniform, delicate slices that will soften beautifully during baking.
Room Temperature Dough: Allow your dough to rest and come to room temperature before rolling. This makes it more elastic and easier to work with, preventing it from snapping back.

Delightful Alsatian Pizza Variations

While the classic Flammekueche with lardons and onions is a timeless favorite, the versatility of this dish allows for numerous delicious variations that cater to different tastes:

Gratinière: For cheese lovers, the Gratinière variation adds a generous layer of grated Gruyère cheese on top of the traditional cream base. The Gruyère melts into a beautiful golden crust, adding a nutty, savory depth to the tart.
Forestière: This earthy version incorporates sautéed mushrooms, such as champignons de Paris or wild forest mushrooms, scattered over the creamy base alongside the lardons and onions. It brings a wonderful umami flavor and a slightly different texture to the dish.
Munster: A bolder, more pungent option, the Munster Flammekueche features slices of the famous local Munster cheese. This strong-smelling, soft cheese mellows and becomes incredibly creamy when baked, offering a distinctly Alsatian culinary experience for those who appreciate robust flavors.
Sweet Flammekueche: Don’t overlook the dessert variations! A sweet Flammekueche is typically topped with thinly sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon, sometimes with a handful of fresh blueberries. Often, it’s flambée (flamed) at the end with a splash of Calvados, a delicious apple brandy, adding a spectacular finish and a hint of boozy warmth.
Vegetarian Options: For those avoiding meat, Flammekueche can easily be adapted. Simply omit the lardons and add more onions, or include roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes for a flavorful meat-free version.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flammekueche

What does flammekueche mean?

Literally, flammekueche (from the Alsatian dialect) or tarte flambée (French) means “pie baked in flames.” This name originates from the traditional method of baking these tarts in a wood-fired oven. The extremely high heat of the oven causes the crust to blister and cook very rapidly, often appearing to be “flamed” by the intense heat.

How to make flammekueche?

The process is quite straightforward! You start by preparing a very thin dough base, similar to a pizza crust. Then, you spread a creamy mixture, typically made from cream cheese and sour cream, over the dough. Finally, you add your chosen toppings, most commonly lardons and thinly sliced onions, before baking it at a high temperature until the crust is crispy and the toppings are golden.

How to say flammekueche?

I have to admit, it’s not the easiest word to pronounce for English speakers! It’s generally pronounced “flam-KOO-sh.” The ‘ch’ at the end is a soft sound, similar to the ‘ch’ in the Scottish “loch” or the German “Bach.” The French “tarte flambée” is pronounced “tart flahm-BAY.”

What makes Flammekueche different from Italian pizza?

Flammekueche distinguishes itself primarily by its crust and base. It features an exceptionally thin, cracker-like crust, as opposed to the often thicker, chewier crust of Italian pizza. The base is a creamy blend of fromage blanc (or cream cheese/sour cream) instead of a tomato sauce. The traditional toppings are minimal: lardons and onions, without the added cheese typically found on a classic Italian pizza (though cheese variations exist). It’s also traditionally cooked at extremely high temperatures for a very short time.

Can Flammekueche be made ahead of time?

The dough can certainly be prepared in advance. You can make the dough and let it proof, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Just let it come to room temperature before rolling. The cream mixture can also be prepared a day ahead. However, for the best crispness, it’s recommended to assemble and bake the Flammekueche just before serving.

Pairing Flammekueche with the Perfect French Wine

The culinary experience of Flammekueche is beautifully complemented by a carefully chosen beverage. In Alsace, it’s traditionally enjoyed with local wines, particularly those that are dry, crisp, and refreshing, cutting through the richness of the cream and balancing the saltiness of the lardons. White wines from Alsace are often the perfect choice:

Riesling: An Alsatian Riesling (dry, unlike many German Rieslings) offers bright acidity and notes of green apple, citrus, and minerality, making it an excellent match.
Pinot Blanc: This light-bodied, elegant white wine provides subtle fruit flavors and a crisp finish that harmonizes well with the creamy base.
Sylvaner: Known for its refreshing, earthy character and moderate acidity, Sylvaner is another classic regional pairing that highlights the simple, rustic flavors of the tart.
Crémant d’Alsace: For a festive touch, a sparkling Crémant d’Alsace is a fantastic option. Its fine bubbles and crispness add a celebratory feel and cleanse the palate.

Beyond wine, a cold, crisp beer can also be a wonderful accompaniment, especially lighter lagers or pilsners that won’t overpower the delicate flavors of the Flammekueche.

More Pizza Recipes from A Hedgehog in the Kitchen

If you love exploring different takes on pizza and flatbreads, you might enjoy these other recipes:

Turkish Pide: A delicious boat-shaped Turkish flatbread often topped with meat or cheese.
Sweet Potato Pizza: A unique and flavorful pizza featuring a sweet potato base.
Pumpkin Calzone: A cozy and seasonal twist on the classic Italian folded pizza.
Palak Paneer Pizza: An innovative fusion pizza with Indian-inspired spinach and cheese.
4 Cheese White Pizza: A decadent, cheesy delight without a tomato sauce base.
French Ratatouille Pizza: A vibrant and healthy pizza topped with classic Provençal vegetables.

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Flammekueche (Alsatian Pizza) Recipe

This easy and delicious homemade Flammekueche makes for a perfect dinner recipe, embodying the rustic charm of Alsace!

Author: A Hedgehog in the Kitchen

Total Time: Approximately 45 minutes (plus 4 hours resting time for dough)

Yield: For 2-3 people

Category: Pizza

Cuisine: French

Ingredients

For the dough:

2.5 cups (300g) of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of dry yeast
1 tsp of sugar
3/4 cup of lukewarm water
1 tbsp + 1 tsp of softened salted butter
1/2 tsp of salt

For the topping:

1 cup + 1/3 cup (300g) of cream cheese (or fromage blanc)
1/3 cup (80g) of sour cream
1 tsp of salt
A pinch of nutmeg
0.33 lbs. (150g) of lardons (or diced bacon)
2 medium onions (thinly sliced)

To serve:

2 handfuls of fresh arugula

Instructions

For the dough:

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour, dry yeast, sugar, and a tablespoon of lukewarm water together.
Set this mixture aside for 10 minutes, allowing it to bloom until small bubbles appear on the surface.
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the remaining flour, salt, and the rest of the lukewarm water.
Begin mixing with a dough hook (or by hand) for about a minute, then add the activated yeast mixture.
Continue mixing until the dough comes together and forms a cohesive ball.
Add the softened butter and continue to mix until the butter is fully absorbed into the dough.
Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and place it in a lukewarm spot.
Leave the dough to rest and rise for 4 hours. It should noticeably increase in volume.

For the topping and assembly:

Once the dough has rested, remove it from the bowl.
Remove your oven tray and preheat your oven to a very hot 482°F (250°C).
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough very thinly with a rolling pin. Aim for a rectangular or oval shape, as thin as you can get it without tearing.
Carefully transfer the thinly rolled dough onto your oven tray (you might need parchment paper if not using a non-stick tray).
In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg until well combined and smooth.
Spread this creamy mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small border for the crust. This forms the signature Flammekueche base.
Heat a frying pan on high heat. Add the lardons and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the lardons are slightly crispy and the onions are translucent and softened.
Evenly distribute the cooked lardons and onions over the creamy base of the Flammekueche.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and crispy, and the topping is lightly browned.
Remove from the oven, slice, and serve immediately, ideally garnished with a handful of fresh arugula for a peppery contrast.

First published October 9, 2018. Last updated June 27, 2021 with more information, additional tips, and better readability.