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1
Place a baking steel or stone on the highest rack and heat the oven to its maximum setting — 280–300 °C in a domestic oven, 350–400 °C in a wood-fired oven — for a full hour. Activate the broiler simultaneously for the final phase. The surface must radiate searing heat before any dough is laid on it; touch the rack frame with the back of a hand from 10 cm away — the heat should be immediately uncomfortable.
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2
Combine the flour, salt, oil, and cold water in a bowl. Mix until a smooth, firm dough forms — no yeast, no resting period. Divide into four equal portions of roughly 90 g each.
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3
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to a rough oval or rectangle 1–2 mm thick. Roll further and harder than seems reasonable: the dough should be translucent, and a board's grain should be visible through it. This is where the dish lives or dies — dough left even fractionally too thick will bake bread-like rather than shattering, and no oven temperature will correct the error.
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4
Transfer the rolled dough onto a lightly floured peel or the back of a flat baking sheet. Working quickly so the dough does not retract, spread crème fraîche (or fromage blanc for the Sucrée) in a thin, even layer 3–4 mm deep across the entire surface to within 1 cm of the edge. The base coat should be uniform and barely visible through a scrape of a palette knife.
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5
Distribute the chosen topping sparingly and evenly. For the Forestière: sautéed wild mushrooms, chopped garlic, and fresh thyme. For the Gratinée: raw lardons, sliced onion, grated Gruyère. For the Munster: Munster cubes and cumin seeds. For the Paysanne: sliced boiled potato, lardons, Munster cubes. For the Sucrée: paper-thin apple slices, a dusting of cinnamon. The surface should never be obscured; air must reach the dough beneath the toppings.
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6
Slide the flatbread directly onto the blazing steel or stone. Bake for 2–3 minutes. The edges will darken to a deep brown and blister and char in places; the crème fraîche will bubble and take colour at the rim; the centre will remain pale and supple. Remove as soon as the edge char is established and the surface is no longer raw — it should not be uniformly golden.
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7
For the Sucrée only: at table, warm the Calvados or Kirsch in a small ladle, ignite it, and pour the flame over the flatbread. The alcohol should burn off in seconds, the blue flame visible in a dimmed room.
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8
Serve immediately on a wooden board. The flatbread is torn into irregular pieces by hand. When folded, the dough should shatter at the fold rather than bend — the audible crack and the resistance of the crust confirm that the bake is correct.