Tarte Flambée

Tarte Flambée

1 h
Delve into the crispy charm of tarte flambée, an exquisite dish that brings the rustic elegance of Alsace right to your table. This traditional Flammkuchen is perfect for any occasion, whether it is a cosy family dinner or a chic gathering. Enjoy the delicious combination of a crisp, thin crust and a lush spread of cream cheese crowned with fresh vegetables and homemade basil pesto.
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https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/tarte-flambee/

Instructions

Dough
  • In the mixing bowl of a food processor, dissolve the yeast in water. Add flour, olive oil, and salt, and knead the mixture at low speed for 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high and continue kneading for another 3 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, shape it into a ball, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour. As an alternative, you can use ready-made tarte flambée dough.
Toppings
  • Preheat the oven to 250 °C top and bottom heat. Leave a baking tray in the lower third of the oven to heat it.
  • Place cream cheese in a bowl and mix with the egg yolk and a tablespoon of flour, as well as salt and pepper.
  • Wash the courgette and tomatoes. Peel the courgette into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Cut cherry tomatoes into slices.
  • Divide the dough into four smaller doughs and place two doughs each on a lightly floured large piece of baking paper and roll out into thin tartes flambées. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the tartes flambées and top with the cherry tomatoes and courgette slices.
  • Bake two tartes flambées at a time on the preheated baking tray for about 10–15 minutes.
Pesto
  • Peel garlic and wash basil. Mix olive oil, garlic, basil, and cheese in a blender. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.
To serve
  • Drizzle the baked tarte flambée with the pesto and season with salt and pepper. Garnish everything with rocket and fresh oregano and serve.
Enjoy!

FAQ: Questions about tarte flambée

If you want to know more about our recipe, you have come to the right place. Below, we answer some common questions to help you perfect your tarte flambée and get the tastiest, most authentic result.

Can I make tarte flambée dough in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the tarte flambée dough beforehand. Knead according to the recipe, then refrigerate it wrapped up for a few hours or overnight. This helps with planning and gives you a crisper crust when baked. This rest period helps the dough’s gluten relax, resulting in an easier-to-handle dough and a beautifully textured tarte flambée. Before you are ready to bake, let the chilled dough come to room temperature. This makes it easier to roll out and shape.
How can I ensure my tarte flambée has a crisp crust?
A perfect crust relies entirely on how you treat the dough. Let it rest long enough and roll it out very thin, about 1 millimetre. You can also let the rolled-out dough rest for a bit, chilled, before adding toppings to prevent shrinking and ensure an even, crispy crust. You should also avoid too many toppings as this might make the crust soggy. The oven’s heat is the final, important step. It is all about a brief but intense baking time, so preheat the oven to 250 °C with a baking tray inside. You can also preheat it to the highest temperature for your oven if it goes higher than 250 °C, then turn it down to 250 °C as soon as you start baking the tarte flambée. Simply slide the baking paper with tartes flambées on top onto the hot tray when you are ready to bake it.

Ingredients

Dough
Wheat flour
250 g
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Salt
½ tsp
Fresh yeast
15 g
Water
125 ml
or
Fresh ready-made tarte flambée dough from the refrigerated counter
1 pack
Toppings
Cream cheese
200 g
Egg yolk
1
Flour
1 tbsp
Small courgettes
2
Cherry tomatoes
12
Pesto
Fresh basil
1 handful
Garlic clove
½
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Cheese, grated
20 g
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garnish:
Rocket
200 g
Fresh oregano
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Tips: Enhancing your tarte flambée experience

Perfect your tarte flambée with our tips so you can get the best result every time.

The right dough consistency and thickness

To achieve the perfect crispiness, it is essential to allow the homemade dough to rise for the full hour recommended in our recipe. This step guarantees a dough that is both elastic and firm, providing the ideal base for your dish. If you are pressed for time, choose a fresh dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Aim for a uniform thickness of 1 millimetre when rolling out to ensure even baking and crisp texture. Allow the dough to rest for a few moments after rolling it out to prevent it from shrinking.

Try our easy recipe for tarte flambée

Explore Alsatian cuisine with our delicious and easy tarte flambée recipe. The crust is baked to thin perfection and topped with a creamy and thick cream cheese mixture, a layer of thinly sliced courgette, and vibrant cherry tomatoes for a burst of freshness. It is as easy as it comes with either a homemade dough or store-bought one, both allowing you to serve this crisp and tasty pizza-like treat without any hassle.

Try other family and guest-friendly recipes with our simple spaghetti in tomato sauce, quick pizza rolls, or Italian spaghetti aglio e olio.

Delicate crispy base with creamy spread and fresh veggies

The secret to an authentic tarte flambée lies in its delicate, crispy crust, which provides the perfect canvas for the creamy spread and the vibrant, fresh toppings. The base − rolled out to a mere millimetre − crisps up beautifully in the oven, offering a satisfying crunch with each bite. This is complemented by a creamy layer of seasoned cream cheese, which melts slightly under the heat, enveloping the toppings of fresh courgette and sliced cherry tomatoes in velvety richness. Topped with pesto and fresh rocket after baking, it is bursting with flavours and vibrant colours.

Homemade pesto for an aromatic finish

A drizzle of homemade pesto gives your freshly baked tarte flambée an aromatic finish that takes the dish from excellent to sublime. Our pesto, a simple blend of fresh basil, olive oil, pasta cheese, and garlic, adds a burst of herby freshness and a touch of richness. It pairs perfectly with the creamy base and the crisp vegetables, tying all the flavours together with its vibrant green hue and robust flavour. Just a few spoonsful drizzled over the baked dish before serving will add a new dimension of taste that is sure to impress. It is also ideal as a crust dip if you have some left after drizzling on top!

Where does tarte flambée come from?

Tarte flambée, or Flammkuchen in German, comes from the Alsace region at the crossroads of French and German traditions. ‘Flammkuchen’ means ‘pie baked in the flames,’ which makes sense as German farmers in Alsace initially made it in wood-fired ovens to check the temperature of the oven before baking the actual bread and pastry. The dish became part of French cuisine when France took over Alsace, and it started appearing in city restaurants in the 1960s.

This classic tarte flambée has a thin bread dough base with toppings like fromage blanc or crème fraiche, onions, and lardons, but you can top it with various other ingredients, such as Gruyère, Emmental, or the like, and mushrooms. There are even sweet ones with toppings like apples and cinnamon for a dessert twist.

Experiment with the topping

If you fall in love with this recipe, why not try some variations so you can make it again and again? Try the classic flavour combinations of traditional Flammkuchen with some bacon lardons or crispy pancetta on top and some finely chopped or sliced onions. The lardons or pancetta promise a delightful crunch and a deep, smoky saltiness that cuts through the creaminess of the base, while the onions introduce a sharp, piquant edge.

Add a few dollops of crème fraiche on top scattered around the pie to add a luxurious, velvety layer, enriching every bite with its mild tanginess. You can also whisk it into the cream cheese mixture. The same goes for nutmeg, which adds a cosy, spicy warmth to the sweet and slightly tangy cream cheese base.

Instead of the white base, make a tomato sauce base with dollops of cream cheese on top. You get the same luxurious sweetness and creaminess from the cream cheese but with a warm depth from the tomato sauce. For this version, sprinkle with thyme leaves for a bit of earthiness and a delicate aroma that complements the richer ingredients. 

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