German Pizza: Flammkuchen with bacon and onions
A variation on the white pizza, this traditional Alsatian flammkuchen with bacon and onions makes a wonderful dinner or lunch.
Main ingredients:
 | Thin crust pizza dough – flammkuchen is usually very thin, so look for a thin shortcrust pastry |
 | Bacon – small chopped up pieces of bacon or pancetta. |
 | White onion – chopped or sliced onion is typical in a flammkuchen. |
 | (Optional) Grated cheese – cheddar, gruyère, mozzarella, or emmental cheese. |
Accents for the sauce:
 | Crème fraïche (Heavy cream) – this is the base of the white sauce. |
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Nutmeg for flavor |
 | Flour – is mixed in with the cream to avoid the flammkuchen crust becoming too soggy. |
 | Salt and pepper |
Flammkuchen literally translates to “flame pie”, and is a German specialty that originates in the region of Alsace on the border of Germany and France. (In France, it is called tarte flambée or flammekueche.)
Similar to a pizza, it is a thin flatbread with a layer of cheese on it and is baked in a oven.
It is an easy dinner idea, and is also often served as an appetizer or finger food, if you are having people over. I should note that if you have family or friends with a big appetite, they could eat an entire flammkuchen by themselves.
So in terms of proportions, I recommend planning for at least half a flammkuchen per person, when served alongside a soup or mixed green salad for dinner.
Recipe variations
While the traditional recipe from Alsace and Germany calls for bacon lardons, onions and heavy cream, just like pizza there are now many variations. Some interesting suggestions can be broken down by sweet and savory, including making it vegetarian or vegan.
For a savory flammkuchen:
- Zucchini, red onion, and feta cheese
- Potatoes and bacon lardons
- Figs, red onion, goat cheese
- Pear and gorgonzola
- Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil
- Smoked salmon and arugula
- Leeks and mushrooms
For a sweet dessert flammkuchen:
- chocolate sauce and banana
- apple and cinnamon with honey
- pineapple and rhum
You can use whatever you have in the fridge, I would just recommend cooking the ingredients lightly on the stove before placing in the oven, so that you know they are well-cooked.
Cooking tips
Flammkuchen is baked at high temperatures and that gives the crust a nice crispy texture, with carmelized onions and bacon cooked in a white sauce.
Depending on how much sauce you add, you could end up with uncooked bacon, if you don’t heat your oven enough. The traditional French recipe calls for bacon lardons which are small bits of bacon that cook quickly.
However, to take the guesswork out, you can lightly cook the bacon and onions in a pan or the air fryer before using it as a topping on the pizza. In addition:
- You can substitute the heavy cream with low-fat greek yogurt for a lighter version or sour cream for a vegan version.
- If you have picky eaters, you can replace the onions with shallot (white onion) power mixed directly into the sauce to get some of that onion flavor.
- The traditional flammkuchen recipe from Alsace doesn’t include cheese, but if are looking for something heartier (and you can’t imagine a pizza without cheese), you can add some gruyère or emmental.
Similar recipes
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Flammkuchen (German pizza)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 thin pizza crust base
- 25 cl of crème fraiche or heavy cream (1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 chopped or sliced white onion
- 200 g of bacon lardons
- pinch of garlic powder
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 50 g of grated cheese like gruyère or emmental (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
- Spread the pizza crust dough in a baking pan and lightly fold the corners to avoid sauce overflow.
- Chop the onion into small cubes or slices.
- Chop the bacon into small cubes.
- In a mixing bowl, mix in the crème fraiche with the tablespoon of flour.
- Mix in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and nutmeg and blend well.
- Spread the crème fraiche mixture onto the pizza base.
- Add the onion, bacon, and any optional toppings to the top of the pizza base.
- Place in the oven for at least 25 minutes until the dough rises and the bacon lardons look golden brown.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
Flammkuchen can be served with a light salad vinaigrette or a salad niçoise if you want something a little hardier. You can also serve it with a blended vegetable soup or a minestrone.
For the adults, you can also serve it with cold beer, since Germany is so famous for its beers. And if you don’t like beer, try a white Reisling wine from Alsace.
How to store it?
The dough may get soggy and not taste good if it is specifically not meant to be frozen. I would avoid putting flammkuchen in the freezer. You can place the flammkuchen in the fridge for a few hours, if you wish.
