German Onion Tarte

A savory pie with caramelized onions, bacon, and a creamy custard topping, typically served in fall with Federweißer wine.

Ingredients

300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

200 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) cold unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

100 g (½ cup) sugar

1 egg (optional, for better binding)

1 pinch of salt

1kg onions

150 g (5 oz) diced bacon

2 tbsp butter or oil

200 g (¾ cup) sour cream or crème fraîche

2 eggs

200g shredded cheese

Salt, black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Combine flour, sugar, salt in a bowl. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers or use a pastry cutter until it forms a crumbly texture (like coarse sand). Mix in the egg and quickly knead everything into a smooth dough. Don’t overwork it—knead just until it comes together.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30–60 minutes before using.

Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and transfer to the baking tin. Form a 4cm edge with your fingers.

Peel and thinly slice the onions.

In a large pan, sauté onions in butter or oil over medium heat for 10–15 minutes until soft and translucent (not browned).

Add bacon and cook for another few minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

In a bowl, mix sour cream (or crème fraîche), cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Combine with the cooled onion mixture. Heat oven to 180 degrees and bake tarte for 40 minutes until golden brown.