Flammkuchen Stovetop
A German Goodies Brotzeit-Style Flammkuchen
Thin, crisp and made for sharing, this Flammkuchen starts with long-fermented pizza dough stretched almost paper thin. The bottom is browned in a hot skillet before adding a creamy Feinkost Creme base, Canadian bacon and your favorite toppings. A quick blast under the broiler creates beautiful blisters and charred spots while keeping the crust wonderfully crisp.
Servings
1 Flammkuchen
Serving Size
Cut into small squares for sharing
Equipment
- 1 large peel or board for the crust
Ingredients
- 3 oz (85 g) ball long-fermented pizza dough
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) Feinkost Creme or Sour Cream
- 1 ounce 28 g Canadian bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp 15–30 g finely diced red onion
- 2 tbsp 15–30 g diced tomato
- 28 grams cheese, crumbled or shredded
- 1 teaspoon 5 ml olive oil, for the skillet if needed
- Fresh parsley for finishing
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Thinly sliced ham
- Bacon
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Green onions
- Blue cheese
- Swiss cheese
- Gruyère
Instructions
Prepare the toppings.
- Brown the Canadian bacon in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and slightly crisp around the edges. Remove and set aside. Have all of the remaining toppings ready before stretching the dough.
Prepare the dough.
- Remove a 3-ounce (85 g) dough ball from the refrigerator and let it rest, covered, for 20–30 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface and gently flatten the dough with your fingertips.
Stretch the dough.
- Begin stretching the dough with your hands, working from the center toward the edges. Stretch it to about 7–8 inches (18–20 cm), but don't try to get it to its final size yet. The dough should be extremely thin.
Finish stretching over the skillet.
- Lightly oil a skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Carefully lift the dough with both hands and lay it into the skillet. Gently pull the dough outward with your fingertips, stretching it into a thin, irregular rectangle. Don't worry about making it perfectly shaped. The center should be almost transparent in places.
Brown the bottom.
- Cook the bare dough until the underside is golden brown and crisp, about 2–4 minutes. The crust should feel firm enough to support the toppings without becoming soft.
Add the Feinkost Creme and toppings.
- Spread the Feinkost Creme thinly over the browned crust, leaving a small border around the edge. Scatter the Canadian bacon, red onion, tomato and cheese over the top. Keep the toppings relatively light so the thin crust stays crisp.
Broil.
- Transfer the Flammkuchen to a baking sheet if necessary and place it under a very hot broiler. Broil until the cheese and toppings are bubbling and the edges develop dark, blistered spots, about 1–3 minutes. Watch carefully—the thin crust can brown very quickly.
Finish and serve.
- Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Cut into small squares and serve immediately.
Notes
The crisp bottom is essential. Unlike a thicker pizza crust, Flammkuchen should be thin and crisp enough that the small pieces can be picked up without flopping over. Browning the bare dough in the skillet gives the crust the direct heat it needs underneath, while the broiler provides the intense heat from above that creates the characteristic blisters and char.
You don't need a pizza stone for this method.
For a traditional Flammkuchen: Use crème fraîche instead of Feinkost Creme and keep the toppings simple with bacon and onion.
For the German Goodies version: Feinkost Creme makes a wonderful substitute for crème fraîche, adding the flavor of a German deli-style cream while making use of another recipe in your kitchen.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!