Flammkuchen Recipe by Anja Dunk | Christmas food and drink

Flammkuchen, often called “German pizza,” is a very thin piece of dough topped with sour cream and onions pork meat (Bacon). It has its origins in the German/French border region of Alsace – traditionally baked in a wood oven, it was invented by bakers to test the temperature of their ovens; If the oven is hot enough to make bread, the flammkuchen will only take a minute to cook.

The dough is much like pancake batter, or rough dough (flour, oil, and water only) and is incredibly easy to make.

It is important when making this at home that you preheat the baking sheet in the oven first as this ensures a crispy base, or if you have a pizza stone that is even better. I’ve made a few suggestions for my favorite alternate flavor combinations below the recipe, but really anything goes.

Makes 2 (serves 2 like main or 4-6 eg Snack)

To prepare the dough
Pure flour 200 grPlus more dust
Rapeseed oil 3 tbsp
Water 80 ml
Sea salt is fine a pinch

to top
Sour cream or fresh cream 150 ml
an onion 1 smallsmall cubes
Brown mushrooms 150 grcut into thin slices
Unstable sea salt
Rapeseed oil to spray
Fresh thyme leaves ½ tbsp

Preheat oven to 200°C fan/gas mark 7.

Place two large baking sheets in the oven to heat.

To prepare the dough, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Knead for 2 minutes, until a soft and silky dough forms. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each half as thin as possible. As long as it fits on the baking sheet it doesn’t matter what shape it is, although I aim for a rough oval.

Remove the sheets from the oven and place the dough on top. This can be a little tricky – I use a pizza shovel to do this but a large flat spatula or a hand supporting the center of the underside of the dough as you move it works also.

Working quickly, spread the sour cream evenly over each piece of dough and scatter the onions and mushrooms on top. Sprinkle with sea salt and a little rapeseed oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges are cooked through and flamkuchen starts to shimmer on top. Sprinkle with thyme, cut into portions and serve immediately.

differences
pork meat Replace the mushrooms 200 gr diced schinken or veiny bacon.

Goat cheese and honey Switch mushrooms 200 gr Goat cheese. spray 1 tbsp honey on each portion, and sprinkle with thyme and some chives before serving.

Pesto and tomato – Add 2 tbsp Pesto to sour cream and substitute mushrooms 180 gr Cherry tomatoes (half). Add a handful of watercress at the end instead of thyme.

Red pepper and black olives – Add ½ tsp Sweet paprika on sour cream. Replace the mushrooms with red pepper slices. Cut a handful of black olives in half and spread them over each of the flamkuchens. Add a handful of fresh basil as soon as it comes out of the oven.

From Advent by Anja Dunk (Quadrille, £25)