Flammkuchen

Ingredients

• smoky bacon lardons or sliced streaky bacon 250g, cut into pieces
• onion 1, finely sliced
• crème fraîche 250g
• nutmeg a grating
• thyme leaves picked to make 2 tsp, plus extra to serve
• strong white flour 500g
• fast-action dried yeast 7g
• fine sea salt 1 tsp
• caster sugar 1 tsp
• olive oil 2 tbsp

Method

• Step 1

  Mix all the base ingredients in a large bowl with 300ml of warm water, then tip out onto a lightly floured worksurface. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide into four balls, cover and leave to rest while you make the toppings.

  Step 2

  Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes until lightly golden and the fat has rendered. Scoop out onto a plate leaving the fat in the pan. Fry the onion in the fat for 10 minutes until softened.

  Step 3

  Heat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9, and put a couple of baking trays or sheets in the oven to warm up. Mix the crème fraîche with the nutmeg, some seasoning and 1 tsp of the thyme leaves.

  Step 4

  Roll out the dough balls as thinly as you can (about 1-2mm thick), then transfer to a sheet of baking paper. Spoon the crème fraîche mixture over the dough, smoothing it over with a spoon or spatula, leaving a 1cm border. Scatter over the bacon, onion and a few thyme leaves.

  Step 5

  Lift the pizzas on the baking paper onto the hot baking sheets and cook in the oven, two at a time, for 7-10 minutes or until the bases are crisp and the onions are starting to turn golden, swapping the two trays over halfway through. Repeat with the remaining two pizzas, and serve scattered with any remaining thyme and a good grinding of black pepper.

Nutritional data

• kcals 941
• fat 44.9g
• saturates 22.2g
• carbs 102.4g
• sugars 6.7g
• fibre 6.1g
• protein 28.8g
• salt 3g