This post has been in the works for a while. It’s Christmas market season in Germany and even though we’re not in Germany anymore, it’s hard not to think about the beautiful markets, delicious food and warm Glühwein.
One of our favorite foods to get at every Christmas market was flammkuchen. The picture below is just a small representation of how much we love it:
Here are a few things you need to know about flammkuchen
- Traditionally, basic flammkuchen is made with onions and cured pork, what us Americans would consider bacon – I struggle with this one because it really is delicious, but not the healthiest option. Truth be told, we put bacon on it every once in a while. This goes along with my use of bacon as a flavor and not as a main part of a dish.
- Créme Fraîche is used as the sauce in this. I substitute sour cream when I don’t have it, which is quite often.
- The crispier, the better. The dough is rolled out very thin so the edges crisp up, almost cracker like.
The oven has to be H.O.T. I set mine to 500°F. There’s not much to bake really. Just crisping up that dough and giving the toppings a little heat. It will never be the same as Christmas Market flammkuchen (unless you have a wood fired stone oven, of course), but it’s a pretty good replication.
Flammkuchen
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Author: Sarah Pflugradt
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: Makes 2 flammkuchen
Ingredients
- 200 g all purpose white unbleached flour (about 1 and 2/3 cups), plus more for rolling out
- 125 ml water (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- Pinch salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- non stick cooking spray
- 2 Tablespoons cremé fraîche per flammkuchen
- Optional Toppings:
- 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced yellow onion per flammkuchen
- 2 Tablespoons cooked bacon per flammkuchen
- 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced mushrooms per flammkuchen
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F
- Mix flour, water, oil and salt together and incorporate all flour into dough (can use hands if necessary)and form into ball – dough should be tacky, but not super sticky
- Divide ball in two
- With each ball of dough, roll out on a floured board or counter as thin as possible
- Take a baking sheet and turn over to the bottom side and spray with non-stick spray
- Carefully place the dough on flat side of the baking sheet, it’s okay if the dough goes over the edges just a little
- Spread crème fraîche over dough
- Sprinkle toppings on the dough
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to brown and crisp
- Transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares
- Serve immediately
NotesMakes 2 10×15 sized flammkuchen