German Flammkuchen (Onion Tart or Pizza)
- 1 tbsp yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm - not hot - water
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 cups white flour - ideally high-gluten bread flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cooked rye berries (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cornmeal - coarse or finely ground
- 2 tbsps or more grapeseed or olive oil
- 2 medium red onions, peeled & sliced
- 1/2 cup Cream (or yogurt) - 1/2-1 cup (optional)
- 8 ozs Yancey's Fancy Bergenost Cheese
- 4 slices of bacon (recommend Freeport Rest., North East, PA)
- Garnishes: arugula, scallions, toasted walnuts
Ingredients 1-7 are for the dough. Ingredients 8-14 are for the topping and assembly.
Dough:
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside while measuring out the flours (you may substitute all white flour if you prefer). Add the yeast water to the flour and add additional water and the salt to make a soft dough that is not too sticky. Knead briefly and let the dough rest in a warm place for about fifteen minutes or more. Then sprinkle additional flour on the counter and knead the dough some more and set aside.
Topping:
Sauté the sliced onions slowly for about twenty minutes until translucent. Set aside. Combine (with a food processor if you like) the crumbled or chopped Bergenost cheese with the yogurt/cream, which makes a moist topping. If you prefer a pizza which is more dry, omit the yogurt/cream. Fry the bacon until it is lightly browned and when cool, crumble into 1” pieces.
Assembly and Baking:
Preheat oven to 450°F. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until roughly 16” x 16”. This is not a hard-fast rule - if you like thinner crusts, roll it out more thinly. Gently fold the dough in half and transfer it to a cookie tray which has a generous sprinkle of cornmeal. Then spread the cheese mixture on top of the dough. Sprinkle the cooked onions across the surface. Then sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Bake in hot oven about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes. Add garnishes (scallions, arugula, walnuts, as you like), cut, and serve.
