We have been fans of simple Tarte Flambées aka. Flammkuchen for a long time. We are particularly fond of the classic Alsatian Tarte Flambée. Of course, that’s not the only type of flat tart you can prepare. Some time ago we came up with a Tarte flambée (Flammkuchen) with Arugula, Tomatoes & Serrano Ham – a really tasty alternative if you ever get bored with the classic version. ;P
You can throw pretty much anything you can find in your fridge onto a Tarte Flambée. The thin dough base tastes good with just about anything on top. The inspiration for these tarts here is clearly a classic pizza with arugula, tomatoes, and ham. Except that the ratio of crust to toppings is definitely better here compared to the pizza – even though there isn’t actually that much stuff on it… ;)
Do you know how the Tarte Flambée got its name? Well… let me explain. In a time when bread was still baked exclusively in wood-fired ovens, a Tarte Flambée was used to test the oven temperature. If the flat dough browned too quickly or even burned, the oven was still too hot for the bread. If the Tarte Flambées took a long time go be done, you knew you had to add more wood to create more heat. The name »Tarte Flambée« or »Flammkuchen« was chosen, because you could normally still see flames in the oven when testing with the flat dough pieces. When adding bread to a wood-fire oven, the wood normally has burned down completely already…
Anyway. You came for the recipe and not for a history lesson, I guess. ;P Just scroll down for the recipe, including homemade dough and everything. The preparation is really easy. We normally use sour cream as the (sauce) base for the toppings, but you can also use crème fraîche or a mixture of both dairy products if you like. To make sure, the flat dough pieces get really crispy, do not overload them with toppings. The more you add (sour cream, onions, cold cuts, …) the longer it might take for the dough to get crispy all the way through. It also increases the chances for burned edges. Just sayin’. ;)
The idea to experiment a little with Tarte Flambées came from another »Bake Together« I am doing with my dear blogger colleague Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte. We get together once a month to bake and/or cook –something based on a theme/topic we agreed on beforehand. Well, and for October, we decided we wanted to do something with Tarte Flambées. Anything but the classics. ;P
Unlike most of the other recipes on the blog, we used the fan-forced option of the oven for this recipe here. We don’t do that very often, but it was necessary here. The Tarte Flambée needs quite a bit of heat in order for it to bake quickly and to get crispy. If you have a pizza stone*, you can use that here, for example. Makes the thin dough even crispier. It’s a bit more difficult to get them onto one of those stones, though. Keep that in mind… we already have problems with a regular pizza on a pizza stone sometimes. It takes a little practice. ;P
Anyway. With or without a pizza stone – baking a delicious Tarte Flambée is not rocket science, and they are great for parties or when friends come over for a movie night. You can prepare everything in advance and then quickly pop a Tarte Flambée in the oven when someone’s stomach starts to rumble.
If you like Tarte Flambée, pizza, and stuff like that, you might also want to check our super easy Homemade Pizza Dough recipe. It takes a little longer than the Tarte Flambée dough, though. In case you got even more time on your hands, try our Overnight Spelt Pizza Dough. As the name suggests, this dough is left in the fridge overnight, so the yeast can work its way through the flour very slowly. The result is a wonderful pizza dough that tastes even better than the quick version with more yeast.
In case pizza or flatbread is not enough – how about some focaccia? Our recipe for a delicious Focaccia with Tomatoes, Garlic & Thyme was also created for a »Bake Together« event (like the recipe here). This focaccia is delicious bread that can be made with various other toppings… in case you are not a fan of tomatoes, garlic, or thyme. ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(4 Flammkuchen)
For the dough:
8.1 oz. (230g) all-purpose flour
1 good pinch of salt
3.4 fl. oz. (100ml) lukewarm water
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus a little more
1 large egg yolk
For the topping:
5.3 oz. (150g) sour cream
3.5 oz. (100g) crème fraîche
salt, pepper
2 medium red onions, sliced
about 7 oz. (200g) cherry tomatoes, halved
about 3.5 oz. (100g) arugula
4-6 slices of Serrano ham, torn
some balsamic vinegar cream*
(4 Flammkuchen)
Für den Teig:
230g Mehl (Type 405)
1 gute Prise Salz
100ml lauwarmes Wasser
2 EL Olivenöl, plus etwas mehr
1 Eigelb (L)
Für den Belag:
150g Schmand
100g Crème fraîche
Salz, Pfeffer
2 mittelgroße rote Zwiebeln, in Ringen
etwa 200g Kirschtomaten, halbiert
etwa 100g Rucola
4-6 Scheiben Serrano Schinken, zerrupft
etwas Balsamico Creme*
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Combine flour, salt, lukewarm water, oil, and the egg yolk and knead to get a smooth dough. Brush the dough with a little additional olive oil and place it in a tight-sealing container. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) fan-forced. Mix the sour cream with the crème fraîche and season well with salt and pepper. Peel the onions and cut them into thin rings. Wash, dry, and half the tomatoes. Wash and drain the arugula.
3. Divide the dough into four portions (or two portions for two large Flammkuchen). Place one portion of the dough on a piece of baking parchment and roll it out very thinly with a rolling pin. If the dough does not want to comply, you can simply stretch it over the back of your hands, like you would do with pizza dough – this is often the most effective method. Spread the cream all the way to the edges of the flat dough and distribute onion rings evenly on top. Pull the Flammkuchen with the baking parchment onto the baking sheets and bake them for about 10-12 minutes until nicely browned around the edges. When using a convection oven, you can easily bake to baking sheets at the same time.
4. Top the baked Flammkuchen with the halved tomatoes, arugula, and Serrano ham, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar cream to your liking.
1. Mehl, Salz, lauwarmes Wasser, Öl und Eigelb zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Den Teig mit etwas zusätzlichem Olivenöl bestreichen und in einen gut schließenden Behälter geben. Bei Zimmertemperatur für etwa 30 Minuten ruhen lassen.
2. Den Ofen auf 230°C (450°F) Umluft vorheizen. Den Schmand mit der Crème fraîche verrühren – gut mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Zwiebeln schälen und in dünne Ringe schneiden. Die Tomaten waschen, trocknen und halbieren. Den Rucola waschen und abtropfen lassen.
3. Den Teig in vier Portionen aufteilen (wer mag, kann auch nur zwei große Flammkuchen backen). Eine Teigportion auf ein Stück Backpapier legen und mit einem Nudelholz sehr dünn ausrollen. Wenn der Teig störrisch ist, kann man ihn auch einfach über die Handrücken ziehen, wie eine Pizza – ist oft am effektivsten. Den Teigfladen bis zu den Rändern mit der Creme bestreichen und dann die Zwiebelringe darauf verteilen. Die Fladen mit dem Backpapier auf Backbleche ziehen und dann für etwa 10-12 Minuten im vorgeheizten Ofen backen – bei Umluft kann man problemlos zwei Bleche auf einmal backen. Die Flammkuchen sind fertig, wenn der Rand schön gebräunt ist.
4. Die gebackenen Flammkuchen mit halbierten Tomaten, Rucola und zerrupftem Serrano Schinken belegen und nach Belieben mit etwas Balsamico Creme beträufeln.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Flammkuchen aka. Tarte Flambée with Arugula, Tomato & Serrano Ham
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:12
- Total Time: 01:20
- Yield: 4
- Category: Tarts
- Cuisine: International
Description
If you like your dinner a bit lighter, you should try Flammkuchen – super thin tarts with arugula, tomatoes, and Serrano ham. Easy to prepare and delicious!
Ingredients
For the dough:
8.1 oz. (230g) all-purpose flour
1 good pinch of salt
3.4 fl. oz. (100ml) lukewarm water
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus a little more
1 large egg yolk
For the topping:
5.3 oz. (150g) sour cream
3.5 oz. (100g) crème fraîche
salt, pepper
2 medium red onions, sliced
about 7 oz. (200g) cherry tomatoes, halved
about 3.5 oz. (100g) arugula
4-6 slices of Serrano ham, torn
some balsamic vinegar cream*
Instructions
1. Combine flour, salt, lukewarm water, oil, and the egg yolk and knead to get a smooth dough. Brush the dough with a little additional olive oil and place it in a tight-sealing container. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) fan-forced. Mix the sour cream with the crème fraîche and season well with salt and pepper. Peel the onions and cut them into thin rings. Wash, dry, and half the tomatoes. Wash and drain the arugula.
3. Divide the dough into four portions (or two portions for two large Flammkuchen). Place one portion of the dough on a piece of baking parchment and roll it out very thinly with a rolling pin. If the dough does not want to comply, you can simply stretch it over the back of your hands, like you would do with pizza dough – this is often the most effective method. Spread the cream all the way to the edges of the flat dough and distribute onion rings evenly on top. Pull the Flammkuchen with the baking parchment onto the baking sheets and bake them for about 10-12 minutes until nicely browned around the edges. When using a convection oven, you can easily bake to baking sheets at the same time.
4. Top the baked Flammkuchen with the halved tomatoes, arugula, and Serrano ham, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar cream to your liking.
Notes
Happy Baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
