Tarte Flambée – German Pizza (Alsatian Flammekueche & Bacon)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

Published: May 12, 2017, Updated: April 19, 2025

Tarte flambée (flammkuchen) is a crispy flatbread and my version uses asparagus, bacon, and onion for a spring twist you’ll love.

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Oma's Tarte Flambèe — Flammkuchen ... a type of German pizza. This will quickly become a favorite!

The traditional flammkuchen recipe topping is crème fraîche, covered with strips of bacon and thinly sliced raw onions, however I've been in restaurants throughout Germany that have an actual menu card full of variations, from savory to sweet.

This dish began with Alsatian farmers who used thin dough to test the heat of their wood-fired ovens before baking bread. Its name, which translates to "pie baked in the flames," comes from this fiery tradition.

Over time, it evolved into a regional favorite that beautifully blends German and French influences. Tarte flambée, known as flammkuchen or flammekueche in German, is often compared to pizza or flatbread and is especially popular in Alsace (which shifted between German and French control) and the nearby German regions of Rheinland and Baden-Württemberg.

Having neither a wood-fired oven or crème fraiche readily available, the following recipe is the one I use. In fact, I use an unleavened dough, making it extra fast.

From start to finish, it can be on the table in just over one hour. There are many versions of tarte flambée recipes, many with yeast or baking powder, some even using puff pastry. Creativity rules in this.

Top Tips For The Best Results

1. Balance Your Toppings: Keep toppings light to prevent sogginess and maintain that signature crunch.
2. Serve Immediately: Flammkuchen is best enjoyed hot out of the oven while the crust is at its crispiest

Can You Use A Pizza Stone?

I've not done it this way, but this is what I've been told: If you have a baking stone, you can use it by preheating it in the oven for about half an hour at 500°F near the top of the oven.

Transfer the unbaked flammkuchen to the stone with a pizza peel, just as you would a pizza. This should bake in about 10 minutes. If needed, turn the broiler on for about 3 minutes to brown the top.

If you do it this way, do let me know how it turns out. :)

How To Make Tarte Flambee

(Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.)

Here I'm making flammkuchen with sliced asparagus, caramelized onions, and rendered diced bacon. This is going to be SO good!

Making Oma's Tarte Flambèe: Flammkuchen, It's always good to keep your ingredients organized! Set up a little train of toppings.

When the dough has been oiled, it's easy to roll out. It doesn't stick to the rolling pin and doesn't need to be on a floured work surface to roll out. If it's done right on the parchment paper, you can just lift the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet. 

This one is ready for the oven.

Doesn't this look delicious with sliced asparagus, bacon, and onions? Time to toss it in the oven!

Flammkuchen Toppings

There are so many different toppings that are served on the flammkuchen. Traditionally, it's just the raw onions and thin strips of bacon. However the following additions and combinations are all delicious for a savory tart:

• Gruyere cheese (or your favorite type)
• olives, ham, spinach, garlic, or tomatoes 
• Smoked salmon with spinach
•  homemade sauerkraut with sausage
• sliced mushrooms with leeks
• asparagus with ham

Make this as a dessert by topping the thin dough with sliced apples, cinnamon, and sugar on top of the Greek yogurt. 

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Tarte Flambée – German Pizza Recipe (Alsatian Flammekueche & bacon)

Tarte flambée, aka flammkuchen, is German pizza with a twist! So easy to make, quick and easy to get creative with. Enjoy this Alsatian treat that’s SO traditionally German!

Prep Time:

45 minutes

Bake Time:

30 minutes

Total Time: 

1 hour 15 minutes

Servings:

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon (4 g) salt
• ½ cup (120 ml) warm water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil

Topping:

• ½ cup (120 ml) crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
• 4 ounces (115 g) lean bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion
• 8 stalks green asparagus (optional)
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix together flour and salt in a medium-small bowl. Stir in water and olive oil. Mix together with a wooden spoon, until dough is crumbly. Add more water as needed, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to hold together (it usually takes 2 to 3 tablespoons). Knead dough with hands until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
2. Remove dough from bowl, and pour about ½ teaspoon olive oil in bowl to grease it and return ball of dough to the bowl. Roll it around until it has oil all over. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set put in fridge for about 30 minutes while you prepare the toppings.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
4. Meanwhile, render the bacon in a frying pan, just until the fat starts to be released (do not let the bacon become crisp.) Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain the bacon fat.
5. Add the onions to the frying pan and sauté until soft and translucent over high-medium heat, stirring frequently.
6. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Slice asparagus stalk thinly on the diagonal. Cut the heads, lengthwise, in half.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Remove dough from fridge. Place on parchment paper and roll out very thin. It should cover the whole baking sheet.
9. Spoon Greek yogurt over top. Sprinkle with bacon, onion, and asparagus. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper
10. Bake in the hot oven, on lowest rack, for about 20 to 30 minutes or until edges are nicely browned and topping is crisp.
11. Cool slightly, cut, and serve.

Notes/Hints:

• Traditionally, the bacon and the onion is added raw on top of the dough and NOT pre-cooked. Personally, though, I like the bacon already rendered and the onions more caramelized than just letting them cook in the oven. Use your preference.
• You can divide your dough and top each piece of dough differently.
• Sprinkle a little nutmeg over the Greek yogurt
• Instead of the creme fraiche or Greek yogurt, you can use fromage blanc, quark, sour cream or equal parts buttermilk and cream cheese. 

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe update: April 19, 2025

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.