Flammkuchen and Handbrot - German Christmas Market, Part 2

Of all the food offerings at the Berlin Christmas Markets our favorite was the Flammkuchen and Handbrot. First, the Handbrot...a whole wheat bread with a gooey cheese and bacon inside baked in a wood-fired oven and then slathered with creme fraiche and sprinkled with chives.

The bread dough is rolled flat and the piped with a thick Mornay sauce and then rolled and pinched shut. Mornay is a Bechamel sauce (one of the traditional mother sauces made of milk and thickened with cooked flour and butter, or roux) that has cheese, usually Gruyere, added to it.

No reason for fancy ovens - a wood fired oven and a spray bottle of water create the perfect heat + steam combination for this oven handbrot.

It was served to us hot from the oven with cool creme fraiche and chives. Need I say more?

Well, yes. The handbrot was trumped by the flammkuchen. It's better known as the Tarte Flambe in France and Flammekueche in Alsace. It has a similar history to the petit four - a little something to test the heat of the oven before oven thermometers existed. The flammkuchen is a yeasted dough rolled thin, a bit of fromage blanc or creme fraiche is spread over and topped with thick-cut smoked bacon bits. When it comes out of the oven, green onion is sprinkled on top. So simple, yet so delicious.

I first experienced this wonderful creation in Paris at Flam's..

The version above was a bit dressed up with more cheese and the addition of mushrooms, but I must say I do prefer the one below - the wonderfully simple Flammkuchen I had at the German Christmas Market.

This would be really easy to make at home...I'm now on the search for the perfect yeasted whole wheat dough to recreate my own flammkuchen at home.

Comments

[Tangled Noodle]

Why don't they offer anything like these at German restaurants in the U.S. (at least the ones I've visited)? There's so much more to this cuisine than the spaetzle, schnitzel and sauerbraten that I'm more familiar with. Thanks for sharing these experiences!

[Lori]

Found your blog through a comment on Tangled Noodle. I can already tell I'm going to love it! Your background is so interesting and it looks like it leads to a lot of great posts.

I'm an ex-pat too, living in Brazil. While I am enjoying it, my heart will always be in Europe. I'd love to take this experience there someday, specifically to Germany.

[Sam]

I've never heard of flammkuchen but it looks amazing!

I've been to 'German' markets in the UK and all they ever sell is sausages!

[gastroanthropologist]

Tangled Noodle - I know! Even here in London, closer to Germany, none of the more delicious German food to be found, like braised pork shoulder, potato dumplings, and thick pea soup!

Lori - Thanks for stopping by. I will be exploring your blog as well now.

Sam - I went to the "German" Christmas Market in Hyde Park, London two weeks ago...when I asked for some mustard to eat with my pretzel they looked at me like was from a different planet! What? A German pretzel with no mustard?

[V]

So you went to Berlin Christmas Market. Seems to have all the goodies from the Southern Germany's Christmas Market as well.

[James]

Wow !!these looks so delicious. I like to eat now. Thanks for sharing.

[John Myrick]

I had Flammkuchen in Munich last year at the christmas market and it was my favorite of all the food they had to offer. Thanks for giving us ideas how to do this at home.

[Playhouses]

I love the food from the German markets, the pork is amazing!