Quick Flammekuchen, tarte flambee

I believe tarte flambée, or flammekuchen, is a dish from the Alsace region.  Traditionally a thin leavened bread topped with crème fraîche, onions and bacon lardons, then baked in a wood fired oven.

This quick recipe I improvised one lunch time when there was not much in the fridge for lunch, save for an open pack of ham, crème fraîche and a small onion that my son had brought back from a gardening club at school.  Traditionally, I assume the bread would be leavened with yeast, but this quick version uses self-raising flour.

For the base

Self raising flour, a heap the size of a tennis ball.
Pinch of salt
Half a teaspoon dried mixed herbs
A glug of garlic infused oil, say about 2 tsp
Enough cold water to make a soft dough.

Don't worry if you add a little too much water and the dough is sticky, just add a little more flour until the dough stops sticking to your hands as you work it.
Roll out the dough to an oval or oblong shape to a few millimeters thick.

For the topping

Spoon on a tablespoon or two of crème fraîche and spread evenly with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with a chopped shallot or small onion. Chop up ham and scatter on top, or use bacon lardons.

Bake at 180 - 200 C for about 10 minutes.

Soft White Olive Oil Bread Rolls, Over-night method

Makes: 15 little rolls

Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes the night before and 10 to 15 minutes the next morning.

Cooking time: 21 minutes

Skill level: Not Master of the rolls

Equipment: Mixing bowl; scales and measuring jug; hands or a mixer with dough hook; kitchen knife; baking parchment; pastry brush

Ingredients

500g Spelt Flour (or strong white flour)
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Olive oil
7g Sachet Yeast
2 tsp honey
300ml Luke warm water

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients and the oil together by hand or with a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add the honey and the water gradually while mixing / kneeding to get a moist, elastic dough.

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge over-night.

In the morning, get the dough out of the fridge and light the oven.

Kneed by hand on a clean work-top smeared with olive oil so the warmth from your hands warms up the dough.  When the dough is elastic again and the chill has gone from it, roll the dough into a long sausage shape before cutting into 15 pieces.  Shape each one into a ball and place on a baing sheet lined with parchment and oiled with olive oil.  Place about a centimetre apart and leave to rise in a warm place.

When the rolls are just kissing together, place in the oven at gas mark 7 for 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat to gas mark 5 for 14 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush with olive oil whilst still warm.

Leave to cool and absorb the oil (this adds flavour, a slight sheen and softens the crust).

When they are just warm or fully cooled, they're ready to go.