Cookbook Club Recipe #11 | Variation #2

This flatbread variation takes inspiration from the flavors of an Alsatian tarte flambée.

This flatbread variation takes its inspiration from tarte flambée, the Alsatian flatbread traditionally topped with creamy dairy, onions, and bacon. It’s not meant to be a faithful version—the grilled crust is puffier and chewier than the cracker-like original—but the combination of charred bread, salty pork, sweet onions, tangy crème fraîche, and melted cheese works beautifully.

It’s also a useful demonstration of one of the most important rules of grilled flatbread: Because nearly all of the heat is coming from below, anything that actually needs cooking should be cooked before it goes on the bread. Here, I render the pancetta and soften the onions ahead of time, then use the grill simply to melt the cheese and heat everything through.

If you want the full explanation of preparing and shaping the dough, building a two-zone fire, and mastering the flatbread grilling technique, read the full Grilled Flatbread Blueprint and watch the video here.

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Recipe: Grilled Flatbread with Pancetta, Onions, and Gruyère

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

Salty pancetta, sweet onions, tangy crème fraîche, and nutty Gruyère are a particularly good match for smoky grilled bread.

Precooking the toppings means the final grilling step is fast and virtually foolproof.

It’s rich enough to feel substantial, but keeping the toppings relatively light lets the flatbread itself stay the focus.

Yield: 2 flatbreads, serving 4 to 6 as an appetizer or light mealActive Time: 25 minutesTotal Time: 25 minutes, plus dough resting time if neededSpecial Equipment: Charcoal or gas grill; rolling pin; metal pizza peel or wide metal spatulaNotes: Look for onions that are softened and lightly sweet but still have some texture, not deeply caramelized onions.

Ingredients

1 pound (about 450g) store-bought or homemade pizza dough

6 ounces (170g) pancetta, cut into small dice or thin lardons

1 medium yellow or white onion, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

6 tablespoons crème fraîche

6 ounces (175g) Gruyère, grated

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

Method

Divide the dough into two approximately 225 g (8-ounce) portions. Working with one portion at a time, pinch a small bit of dough between the thumb and forefinger of one hand to form a little “bellybutton.” With your other hand, stretch the outside of the dough over itself and tuck it into that point. Rotate the dough slightly and repeat, continuing until the outside has formed a smooth, taut skin and all of the folds meet at one point underneath. Set the ball seam-side down on an un-floured work surface and gently roll it under your palm to smooth the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place the dough balls in a proofing container, lightly oiled individual deli containers, or lightly oiled small bowls. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 to 3 hours. The dough is ready when it has softened and spread slightly and an indentation made with your fingertip is slow to spring back.

Place the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered much of its fat and is beginning to brown. Add the onion and a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and lightly sweet but still retains a little texture, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

If using a charcoal grill: Light one full chimney of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

If using a gas grill: Set half the burners to medium–high, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Dust a work surface and one dough ball lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin oval, circle, rectangle, or whatever irregular shape it naturally wants to take, roughly 12 inches across at its longest dimension. Brush the upper surface lightly with olive oil if desired.

Pick up the dough from one end and drape it oiled-side down over the hot side of the grill in one smooth motion, taking care that it does not fold over itself. Cook, watching closely, until the dough begins to puff and the underside is browned and charred in spots, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Use the edge of a metal pizza peel or wide spatula to lift and check the underside as it cooks. Rotate or reposition the bread as necessary for relatively even browning. On a round kettle grill, you can also rotate the entire grill grate to move the flatbread over hotter or cooler areas.

Brush the upper surface lightly with olive oil if desired, then flip the flatbread. Cook until the second side is puffed, blistered, and charred in spots, another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer the grilled flatbread to a work surface with the bubblier side facing up. Spread 3 tablespoons of the crème fraîche evenly over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle with half of the Gruyère, then scatter half of the pancetta and onion mixture evenly over the top.

Return the flatbread to the cooler side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook over indirect heat until the cheese is melted and the toppings are piping hot, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, season with black pepper and salt, and cut into pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

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