Tarte Flambee - An Alsatian Twist on Pizza

Seems as though most eyes will be focused on Football this weekend, so we thought we'd toss out a Super Bowl snack idea that puts a little spin on an old favorite.

Tarte Flambee is a huge favorite all over Alsace - Lorraine in northwest France and probably across the border in Germany I'd guess. There's really nothing "flambe" about it. It's a thin round of bread dough topped with thick cut bacon, onions and creme fraiche. The name refers to the charred edges where the wood flames lick up around them. And it is absolutely perfect for these chilly days around New York. A delicious alternative to pizza.

If you want to cut the work in half, purchase some pre-made dough from a neighborhood pizzeria or at the grocery store. But this recipe does produce a more authentic, breadlike crust in our opinion

Alsatian Tarte Flambee
serves 6-12
Crust
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 pound all purpose flour (this is between 3 1/2 - 4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup warm milk

Dissolve sugar in the water. Sprinkle yeast over the water and mix thoroughly. Allow to proof for a few minutes. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mix and gradually stir in the lukewarm milk. Mix and knead about 6 minutes. Feel free to use the dough hook on your stand mixer if you have one. Let rise until double. Then divide dough as desired, and roll into balls. When ready to bake, roll out dough balls into thin circles, top and bake.

Topping
9 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 Tablespoon olive oil (as needed)
2 medium onions, sliced thin (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche (substitute sour cream IF YOU MUST)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
salt & pepper
cornmeal for dusting

Cook off the pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until well browned. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels, leaving excess pancetta fat in the skillet. Add sliced onions and cook until well browned (caramelized). Add olive oil if needed. Continue to stir the onions often as they brown. When golden colored, remove the onions and cool. In a medium bowl, combine creme fraiche, ricotta cheese, nutmeg, caramelized onions and salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
The tartes can be made individual (12) or larger. (We've never made a full recipe into one tarte. The largest we've made is two from 1 X the recipe. You might need to adjust baking times longer for larger tartes.)
Roll out the dough balls into rounds about 1/8" thick. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Cover with a thin layer of the onion mix and then sprinkle with the cooked pancetta. Place on a cornmeal dusted baking sheet and bake until browned and crisp.