Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 120 ml water, warm
- 30 ml neutral oil
- 5 g kosher salt
Toppings
- 200 g crème fraîche
- 150 g smoked bacon, cut into small matchsticks or lardons
- 150 g white onion, halved and very thinly sliced
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 526 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 56 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1149 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 30 mg
- Potassium
- 256 mg
- Calcium
- 81 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 31 mg
- Phosphorus
- 144 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 64 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.76 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.30 mg
- Niacin
- 3.7 mg
- Folate
- 42 mcg
- Water
- 126 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, neutral oil, and warm water. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
Preheat the oven to 250°C/480°F (or your oven's maximum temperature setting). Place a baking sheet or pizza stone on the middle rack so it can get screaming hot.
While the dough rests, prepare the toppings. In a small bowl, whisk the crème fraîche together with the ground nutmeg, black pepper, and a small pinch of kosher salt.
Divide the rested dough into two equal halves. Place one half on a sheet of parchment paper and roll it out with a rolling pin into a very thin oval or rectangle. It should be about 2 millimeters thick, nearly translucent.
Spread half of the seasoned crème fraîche evenly across the surface of the rolled dough, leaving a small half-inch border around the edges. Scatter half of the sliced onions and half of the bacon matchsticks evenly over the top. Do not overload the dough.
Carefully slide the parchment paper with the assembled tart onto the preheated baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the pork reaches a safe internal temperature, the bacon is completely rendered and crispy, and the edges of the dough are blistered and dark brown.
Remove the tart from the oven and slice immediately into squares or rectangles. Serve hot. Repeat the rolling, assembling, and baking process for the second piece of dough.
Chef's Notes
- For the most authentic flavor, look for a thick, high-fat crème fraîche. If unavailable, mixing equal parts heavy cream and sour cream serves as an excellent substitute that will not curdle under high heat.
- The secret to the shatteringly crisp crust is rolling the dough as thinly as possible. You should almost be able to read a newspaper through it before topping.
- Do not pre-cook the bacon. Slicing it into thin matchsticks ensures the fat renders out and crisps up perfectly during the short, high-heat bake, basting the onions in the process.
- Less is more with the toppings. Overloading the thin dough will result in a floppy, steamed flatbread rather than the desired crisp texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Wrap tightly in foil. Best consumed fresh.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze fully baked. Do not thaw before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat directly on the oven rack at 200°C/400°F for 5-7 minutes until the crust crisps up again.
Troubleshooting
The center of the crust is soggy or pale
Cause: The oven was not hot enough, the baking surface was not preheated, or the dough was rolled too thick.
Fix: Return the tart to the lowest rack of the oven for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to dry out the bottom.
Prevention: Ensure the oven is preheated for at least 30 minutes at maximum heat before baking, and roll the dough to 2mm thickness.
Bacon is not fully cooked or crisp
Cause: Bacon was cut too thick to render in the short baking time.
Fix: Use a kitchen blowtorch to carefully blast the bacon bits, or broil for 1 minute watching closely.
Prevention: Slice bacon into very thin matchsticks so the fat renders quickly.
Cultural Context
Tarte Flambée, known as Flammekueche in the local dialect, originates from the Alsace region on the French-German border. Historically, it was created by bakers to test the heat of their wood-fired ovens before baking bread. If the temperature was right, the thin flatbread would bake in mere minutes, its edges perfectly blistered by the licking flames.
