Tarte flambée vs. pizza: differences and recipe

Pizza or tarte flambée, Italy or France. But what else distinguishes the two national pastries?

In any case, they have one thing in common: they are crazy delicious! The second thing they have in common is that they both turn out best when we prepare them in a wood-fired oven. And this is where we come in. Because with wood baking oven we know ourselves. But first, the differences. 

At first glance, of course, the consists in the dough, the pizza has a comparatively "thick" dough, the tarte flambée is paper-thin. The pizza is always made from a yeast dough with a small amount of yeast and a long resting time. Only in this way can the dough mature and acquire its elasticity. For the tarte flambée an oil dough is made, it consists only of flour, water, oil and salt. Of course, a yeast dough also works, but a French chef once told me that it must be an oil dough.

In both cases, the toppings are placed raw on the dough. The classic pizza always consists of tomato sauce, herbs and cheese plus ingredients to taste, which can range from simple salami to exclusive truffle. The original Alsatian tarte flambée always consists of sour cream, bacon and onion. There are also numerous variations for the topping of the tarte flambée. There are no limits to the imagination, as long as the extremely thin dough can withstand the topping.

And now for a great similarity: both doughs love an original wood-burning oven. Here the secret is the high-quality fireclay bottom, which can maintain the temperature up to 400 degrees for a long time. This is how the characteristic bubbles appear in both doughs when they are placed in the oven. The temperature in the dome of the oven is crucial for the distinguished browning of both the dough and the topping. In a high-quality wood-fired oven, such as those offered by Valoriani or Fontana, the temperature in the dome is always slightly higher than the floor temperature thanks to patented air circulation systems. Especially with tarte flambée, this is the secret of success; the topping is flambéed in a matter of seconds, so to speak.

Recipes for tarte flambée dough:

250 g flour
125 ml water
2 tbsp oil
pinch of salt

And for the topping: sour cream must always be. Everything else is up to the cook's taste. Here are some suggestions: Autumn tarte flambée with pear and Roquefort, Traditional with bacon and onion, Italian with tomato and herbs or Hessian with Handkäs and onion.

Pizza dough recipes are available on our website. And, of course, plenty of ovens that are ideal for preparing various baked goods such as pizza, tarte flambée, bread, but also casseroles, meat dishes and much more. If you are interested, it is best to arrange a consultation appointment with us in our showroom near Frankfurt am Main. We advise personally, comprehensively and also offer an all-round service after the purchase.