Do you always order Pizza Bianca? Then you will be in love with this German/ Alsatian creation known as Flammkuchen or Tarte Flambee. It is the most delicious Sour Cream Pizza with Onion and Bacon on a delicious pizza base! It only uses a handful of simple ingredients and, dare we say, even more delicious than your regular pizza!
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Sour Cream On Pizza. Really?
The answer is simple. 100% yes!!! If you like Pizza Bianca, which is topped with milky bechamel, you will love Flammkuchen (a.k.a. Tarte Flambée).
Sour cream on pizza adds a delicious indulgent and creamy taste and texture and is a great complement to bacon and onion topping. It is milder flavoured and therefore, allows other ingredients to shine through brighter.
TIP: Make sure to use full-fat sour cream with a fat content of no less than 25%. If you can, use French Creme Fraiche that is 30-35% fat.
What Is Flammkuchen?
Flammkuchen, also known as "flame cake" or German pizza, is a traditional dish made from thinly rolled, no-yeast dough that resembles pizza dough.
This delicacy is topped with sour cream or crème fraîche, onions, and bacon, then cooked quickly in a hot oven, ideally a wood-fired oven, to achieve a crispy texture. Its simplicity and comforting flavours make it a great alternative to the classic Italian pizza.
Feeling fancy? Try a different version of Flammkuchen: Smoked Salmon Pizza With Creme Fraiche. And if you're a sourdough baker, try our Sourdough Flammkuchen (a.k.a. Sourdough Tarte Flambee) or go all out with our Sourdough Pizza Dough (Neapolitan Style Crust Recipe)!
What's The Difference Between Flammkuchen, Tarte Flambee and Pizza?
Flammkuchen and Tarte Flambee refer to the same dish, a speciality from the French-German border region, made with simple dough without yeast and topped with sour cream or creme fraiche instead of tomato sauce.
Pizza is distinctly Italian and features tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings atop a yeast-leavened dough.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- all-purpose flour: can be replaced with strong bread flour. You may also substitute up to ⅓ of the flour with whole wheat or spelt flour.
- fast-action yeast: also known as instant yeast.
- caster sugar: also known as superfine sugar. Or simply use granulated white sugar.
- salt: sea salt or kosher salt.
- lukewarm water.
- olive oil.
- bacon: smoked or unsmoked, you choose, cut into small pieces.
- creme fraiche or full-fat sour cream: make sure its fat content is no less than 25%. If you've run out, try this recipe with softened cream cheese instead - it works, but lacks that sour cream tang!
- brown onions: may be replaced with red onions or even shallots.
- cheese: Gruyere, Emmental or Gouda work best, but you may use Cheddar cheese or even gratable mozzarella cheese.
- black pepper.
Ingredient quantities, full instructions and nutrient information can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Extra Topping Suggestions
Make Sour Cream Pizza your favourite food by personalising your topping. Here are some things that go extremely well:
- Mix a little nutmeg and garlic powder into the sour cream before spreading it on the dough.
- Top with thinly sliced bell pepper or asparagus (head to our Tarte Flambee With Asparagus recipe for more information).
- Add cooked shredded chicken pieces for more protein.
- Scatter the tip with dill, fresh chives or green onions.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Make The Dough. Place flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and warm water and mix it into a rough dough. Scrape it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and cohesive (you can make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment too.
2. Proof The Dough. Place the dough ball in a clean lightly greased bowl, cover it with clingfilm, and leave it to rest at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Preheat the oven to the highest setting (typically 230° C (450° F)), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Cook the Bacon. Fry the bacon pieces in a frying pan until they are crispy and starting to brown. Place the bacon on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
4. Slice The Onions. Slice the onions very thinly.
5. Roll Out The Dough. Divide the dough ball into two. Shape each into a thin circle of about 5 mm thickness.
6. Assemble Flammkuchen Pizza. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Spread the sour cream all over, avoiding about 1 cm edge. Top with raw onions, cheese and finally, crispy bacon pieces.
7. Bake. Bake the Flammkuchen in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are deep golden brown.
Fancy a Traditional Crust?
Skip the yeast and knead the rest of the ingredients into a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in clingfilm and leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
Then roll the rough out thinly (it has to be twice as thin as your regular pizza dough), and carry on with the toppings.
Tips For Best Results
Flammkuchen pizza is very easy to make, but if it is your first time making this recipe, here are some important tips:
- Once the dough has proofed and you divide it into two, shape two balls and leave them to rest for a short time, it will be a lot easier to roll out and it will contract less.
- Make sure to use full-fat sour cream or creme fraiche - otherwise, it may curdle.
- Slice your onions very thinly to give them the chance to cook slightly, whilst retaining a little crunch.
- Place cooked bacon pieces on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra bacon grease.
- Cook sour cream pizza on the highest setting - it needs to cook quickly, otherwise the base won't crisp up and be soggy.
- You may cook it in a wood-fired oven or a pre-heated pizza stone.
What To Serve Sour Cream Pizza With?
We love sour cream pizza with fresh and crips salad and a glass of Alsatian white wine on the side. Serve it with Courgette Ribbon Salad or Shirazi Salad.
Alternatively, pair it with Cherry Tomato and Green Bean Salad or Peashoot Salad! We find that a zingy dressing made with lemon juice works best with this creamy pizza.
Recipe FAQs
Does Sour Cream Curdle When Baked?
If you use sour cream (or creme fraiche) that has a fat content of no less than 25% and cook Flammkuchen Pizza on high heat, you shouldn't have any issues.
How To Store Flammlkuchen Pizza Leftovers?
This sour cream pizza is best served fresh out of the oven, but if you have leftovers, cool them to room temperature, then wrap slices in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 48 hours. The next day, you can enjoy Flammkuchen cold, or reheat it in the oven until warmed through and crispy.
More Unconventional Pizza Ideas
Homemade pizzas are the best, and whilst they take a little while to make, the results are totally worth it. Here are our favourite recipes for you to try next time (Suggestion? Start with Chicken Fajita Pizza!).
Sour Cream Pizza With Onion & Bacon (Flammkuchen Pizza)
Ingredients
- 185 g (1½ cups +1 tbsp) white flour all-purpose or strong
- 3½ g fast-action yeast instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon caster sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 115 ml (½ cups) lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 g (3.5 oz) bacon cut into small pieces
- 120 g (½ cups) creme fraiche or full-fat sour cream
- 1 large brown onion thinly sliced
- 130 g (3.5 oz) Gruyere, Emmental or Gouda use Cheddar if you can't find them, grated
- black pepper
Instructions
- Place flour, yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and warm water and mix it into a rough dough. Scrape it onto a light floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and cohesive (you can make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment too.
- Place the dough ball in a clean lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm, and leave it to rest at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Preheat the oven to the highest setting (typically 230°C (450°F)), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Fry the bacon pieces in a frying pan until they are crispy and starting to brown. Place the bacon on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.
- Divide the dough ball into two. Roll each into a thin circle of about 0.5 cm thickness.
- Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Spread the sour cream all over, avoiding about 1 cm edge. Top with raw onions, cheese and finally, crispy bacon pieces.
- Bake the Flammkuchen in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are deep golden brown.
Nutrition
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