Speckzelten(Speckplatz)

Speckzelten (also spelled Speckplatz) is a Tyrolean and Bavarian flatbread that predates pizza by several centuries: a rustic Alpine answer to making one rich, satisfying meal from flour, yeast, milk, and pork fat. The dough is a soft, butter-enriched yeast dough kneaded until it bubbles and forms small blisters under the surface. Shape into discs about half a finger thick and five inches across, then crimp the edges into a raised rim that catches the topping like a Bavarian galette.

There are two traditional toppings, both deeply pork-forward. Topping A is brushed with egg yolk and pressed with finely diced raw smoked bacon, then showered with chopped onion, ground coriander, and caraway seeds. Topping B is the simpler peasant version: brushed with lard and pressed with crispy cracklings (the rendered bits left after making lard from pork fat). Both bake at moderate heat for thirty minutes until the dough is golden and the bacon or cracklings are crisp at the edges.

Serve hot, ideally with a stein of cold lager or a glass of dry Austrian white wine.

Pro Tips

• Knead until the dough forms small bubbles, as the directions say. This is your sign that the gluten has developed enough to hold the topping without going dense.
• Build a proper raised rim by pinching and tweaking with floured fingers. A flat disc lets the bacon fat run off; a raised rim keeps the topping where it belongs.
• Use raw smoked bacon (German Speck or Italian pancetta affumicata), not American crispy bacon. The fat should still be pliable when it goes onto the dough so it renders into the bread as it bakes.
• The caraway and coriander combination is the regional signature. Don’t skip them or you lose the Tyrolean character.

Variations

• Add a thin layer of soft cheese (quark or fresh ricotta) under the bacon for a richer, more modern version.
• Top with thinly sliced potato and a scatter of fresh thyme alongside the bacon.
• Use whole-milk yogurt instead of milk in the dough for a slightly tangier, softer crumb.