Bacon and Onion Tart

Back in the days when I lived near a normal grocery store and had a normal kitchen, I made this recipe from Bon Appetit.  So yummy and delicious.  I was having some friends over for at-home pedicures (Manila does have its benefits) and snacks, so I thought I would give it a try.  For starters, not an inexpensive venture: the creme fraiche (the finding of which was actually the reason I even attempted this recipe), cottage cheese, and sour cream cost a combined total of $13.50.  

I make pizza dough fairly regularly, and this is similar, but kind of has the consistency of the pizza dough you make in the Chef Boyardee pizza kits.  I was suspicious that it would turn into anything servable, but it did.  And I was very suspicious about not cooking the bacon at all before putting it in the oven, but it was great.  Just like I remembered.  I wasn't really thinking about blogging when I made it, so I don't have any pictures, but it was still quite delicious!

Onion and Bacon Tart

2 1/4 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F) 
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup crème fraîche
1/3 cup large-curd cottage cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
2 small white onions, very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) 
12 ounces 1/4-inch-thick bacon slices cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon yeast in large bowl; stir to blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until mixture bubbles, about 30 minutes. Stir in salt, then 1 1/4 cups flour. Mix until soft slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour 2 large baking sheets. Lightly flour hands; punch down dough and divide in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface to thin 16x10-inch rectangle. Transfer each rectangle to prepared baking sheet. If dough shrinks, roll or stretch each back to size. Puree crème fraîche, cottage cheese, and sour cream in processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread cream mixture over crusts. Sprinkle onions and raw bacon over cream mixture, dividing equally. Bake tarts until edges of crusts are crisp and brown, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle generously with pepper; cut into pieces and serve.

Cooking in Manila

I'm hoping to take on a new adventure by joining the Barefoot Bloggers.  This truly is an adventure, since I'm living in the Philippines where finding buttermilk, for example, could be an all-day activity.  Oh, and my oven doesn't fit a sheet pan.  And only a few of the eyes on my stove work.  And I live in an apartment with no outdoor space, so grilled pizza is out of the question.  BUT, I'm still willing to take on the challenge.  We'll see how I do.