When you think of crispy, flavourful flatbreads, a classic flammkuchen recipe should be on your must-try list. Also known as tarte flambée or German pizza, this Alsatian specialty showcases a paper-thin dough topped with creamy crème fraîche, savory bacon or lardons, and sliced onions. Baking quickly in a hot oven gives it a distinctive charred edge with velvety center delight.
At Gideon Milling, simplicity meets quality. We use our finely milled stone‑ground flour for the base, ensuring a light but sturdy crust that crisps perfectly. Just mix flour, water, olive oil, and salt into a pliable dough — it needs no resting. Roll it incredibly thin, spread a whisper of crème fraiche, and scatter bacon and onions. In under 15 minutes, you have an irresistibly savory snack.
Flammkuchen has a rich backstory. Bakers in Alsace once used it to test their wood-fired oven’s temperature—if the dough baked almost instantly, it was ready for bread. Over time, this test became a beloved regional specialty.
This recipe is adaptable too. Try vegetarian versions with mushrooms or savory sweet renditions with apples and cinnamon—perfect for making it your own.
Serve flammkuchen with a crisp white wine or alongside soups for a meal that’s both casual and refined. You’ll love how stone‑ground flour elevates this rustic classic into something truly special.
Ingredients
Yields 2 flammkuchen
Base
- 250 g Gideon Milling White Bread Wheat Flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 125 ml lukewarm water
Toppings
- Onions
- Chives
- Smoked bacon
- Crème fraîche
Method
Base
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For the dough, pile the flour, sea salt, and olive oil onto a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Pour the lukewarm water into the well.
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Using a fork and a circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix it into the water. Continue to mix, bringing in all the flour – when the dough comes together and becomes too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat it into a ball.
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Knead the dough by rolling it backward and forwards, using your hands to stretch, pull and push the dough. Keep kneading for 10 minutes.
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Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 15 minutes – this will make them easier to roll it thinly.
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Divide the dough into two equal balls. You can optionally wrap one in clingfilm and freeze for another day.
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Dust a clean surface and the dough with a little flour or semolina and roll it out until thin and oblong.
Baking the flammkuchen
- Preheat oven to 250˚C.
- Chop the onions, chives, and smoked bacon.
- Season the crème fraîche with salt and pepper to taste and spread evenly on a thin, oblong rolled-out base.
- Add the onions and bacon.
- Bake 4 – 5 minutes in a pre-heated oven. We baked our flammkuchen in a DIY wood-fire pizza oven for 3–5 minutes reaching a temperature of 180˚C.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives and enjoy!
Recipe (adapted) by Jamie Oliver
