Tarte flambée, or flammekueche, is the iconic dish of Alsace, and the Munster version is the cheesy, fragrant upgrade. Originally it was baked in the bread oven, in the flames, to test the heat before the bread went in: a very thin dough, cream, onions and bacon. Add a few slices of Munster cheese and it becomes even more indulgent.
I had one during the June 2026 heatwave at L’Ami Fritz in Phalsbourg. For me it is the best dish of our corner between Moselle and Alsace. Back in September 2024 we also enjoyed a flammekueche at the town festival in Barr, after the Kirchberg Gourmet Walk, with an Alsatian music band playing.
Here is the traditional recipe. The secret: roll the dough as thin as you can and get your oven as hot as it goes.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Dough (2 tarts)
- 250 g plain flour
- 150 ml lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 g dried baker's yeast
- 5 g salt
Topping
- 200 g fromage blanc or quark (40 % fat)
- 150 g crème fraîche
- 1 large onion (150 g)
- 150 g smoked bacon lardons
- 200 g Munster cheese
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
Method
- Mix the flour, yeast and salt, then add the lukewarm water and oil. Knead for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and supple. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Place a baking tray (or a pizza stone) in the oven and preheat it to the highest setting, 270 to 280 °C, for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice the onion into very thin rings. Mix the fromage blanc and crème fraîche, then season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Cut the Munster into thin slices, keeping the rind. If you like, blanch the lardons for 1 minute in boiling water to make them less salty, then drain.
- Divide the dough in two. Roll each piece out on a floured sheet of baking paper as thinly as possible (2 mm), into a rectangle of about 30 x 40 cm.
- Spread half the cream on each base, leaving a 1 cm border. Scatter over the onions, lardons and Munster slices, then sprinkle with cumin.
- Slide the tart on its paper onto the hot tray and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are golden and blistered and the Munster is melting. Repeat with the second tart.
- Serve right away, cut into rectangles. In Alsace people roll the pieces up and eat them with their hands, sharing in the middle of the table.
Tips and variations
- Without Munster you get the traditional tarte flambée; with grated Emmental, the gratinée version.
- If Munster tastes too strong for you, remove the rind: it will stay melting but milder.
- The thinner the dough and the hotter the oven, the crispier the tart. A pizza oven works wonders.
- Vegetarian version: replace the lardons with thinly sliced mushrooms.
- Eat it straight away: reheated, the base loses its crunch.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.