a love letter to the galette: my favorite dessert
galette is the french term for this rustic pie
crostata is the italian term for it
pictured is strawberry rhubarb
UGH galettes (also referred to as a crostata)... Where do I begin!!! For starters, a fruity dessert will always triumph over a chocolatey or caramel-y richer dessert for me. Especially during the summer when all of my favorite fruits are in season (talkin’ to you peaches & cherries & blueberries etc). I also love a mix of temperatures on my plate. So eating a warm slice of pie or galette with a cold scoop of ice cream (or homemade whipped cream thats been sitting in the fridge) is the closest to having an outer body experience I think I’ll ever have. Finally, to me at least, a galette is unbelievably easier to make than a pie. They are basically the same thing any way!! A galette is just a more rustic version. You don’t need a pie pan, just a large baking sheet and some parchment paper. So there is no messing around trying to transfer a delicate dough to a pie dish without tearing it and then fussing with the edges. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE pie, I just think they’re too fussy to make.
Sometimes I will divide this dough in half and make 2 smaller rounds that will serve about 4 and keep one in the freezer for later. I rarely need to make a galette that serves 8 people anyway.
A leftover slice of galette also makes for an insane breakfast the next morning. Eat it whenever you want, no one is judging you.
tools ————————————
before i get into ingredients, i’m going to list a few things you should have that will make this recipe much easier to execute. most people will already have a lot of this stuff. if you don’t you should invest!
rolling pin - i’ve seen people use a wine bottle instead but… just get one
scale - if you don’t have one i will post other measurements, but your crust may not turn out as perfect and will be a little different every time you make it. i love my scale. i use it to bake of course, but also to make my coffee every morning. it’s really a game changer. buy one! i have this one** (in green). its very affordable and comes in a bunch of colors (fun!)
large mixing bowl
parchment paper
bench scraper - not essential but nice to have. i have used a large, flat spatula in place of this and it worked fine. this is also something i use almost daily, comes in handy when transferring anything from the cutting board.
pastry brush - again, not essential. but makes it exponentially easier to apply the egg wash. although i have rubbed this on with my fingers before, i wouldn’t recommend it.
** this is an affiliate link and i may receive commission for purchases made through this link. i won’t ever recommend anything i haven’t used and absolutely loved.
ingredients ——————————
serves 8
for the crust (makes 1 12-14 inch or 2 6-7 inch crusts)
260g or 2 cups all purpose flour -if you’re measuring using cups make sure it’s spooned and leveled NOT packed
20g or 1 tbs granulated sugar
5g or 1 tsp fine kosher salt -like diamond crystal
190g or 13.5 tbs unsalted butter (~1.5 sticks), very cold and cubed -high fat european style, like kerrygold, is best but if you cant find it nbd. after you cube the butter put it back in the fridge. you can use salted butter, just omit the teaspoon of extra salt.
1/3 cup very cold water
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
for the filling
2lbs of fruit (apples, peaches, sour cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, blueberries, bananas, etc.) - feel free to mix these, you absolutely don’t have to use just one
2 tsp cornstarch if using a very juicy fruit (mostly summer fruits like peaches and strawberries) - helps thicken the juice
granulated sugar or sugar in the raw -for mixing into fruit and for sprinkling on top
-alternatively, if you’re feeling adventurous you can sweeten the fruit with a few table spoons of hot honey instead of sugar. you can make your own by browning 1-2 tbs butter with 1 tsp red pepper flakes and stirring in about 1/4 cup honey while the butter is still warm. spoon in a couple tablespoons of this mixture with the fruit (i did with peaches recently and it was bomb)
1-2 tsp citrus zest plus 1-2 tablespoons juice (lemon, lime, orange) -alternatively you can use garam masala instead of zest (i have done this with peaches and it’s insane)
for the egg wash
1 egg lightly beaten
tiny splash of milk or water
pinch of salt
ICE CREAM FOR EATING or homemade whipped cream
instructions ——————————
for the crust (can be made 3 days ahead of time, just stop after step 5)
in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, and salt with a whisk.
add the cold cubes of butter and toss to coat them in flour. next, start pinching the cubes in your fingers until they break up into pea sized pieces. being very carful not to over mix it and working quickly to keep the butter cold (if your butter seems like it has gotten a little warm when you’re done, put the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10 min to get it cold again).
add the cold water and vinegar to the bowl and fold with a spatula until just combined. it won’t be sticky and will be pretty crumbly with some dry spots still. it’s not going to be fully combined at this stage. it is very important not to over mix/over work your dough. this will result in a dry, tough crust.
lightly flour your (clean) work surface, and turn the dough along with all the crumbly pieces onto it. pat the dough into a disk. you really don’t need to do any kneading or too much handling. if it still seems a little dry don’t worry because it will rehydrate while it rests in the fridge. we’re just looking for a semi-uniform disk.
** for 2 smaller crusts; first pat the dough into one mound and use a bench scraper to cut it in half. then pat into 2 disks.wrap the disc(s) tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 3 days. you can also freeze this for about 2 months (but the longer it sits in the freezer the less fresh it will taste) thaw it in the refrigerator over night before rolling it out.
take the chilled dough and place on work surface. pound it out with a rolling pin to flatten it out a little. unwrap the chilled dough and put in between 2 large pieces of parchment (this makes rolling out the dough way easier) and roll the dough out to about a 12-14 inch circle (6-7 inch for half the dough). spin the dough clockwise as you roll it out, this will ensure a more evenly rolled dough. it will be about 1/8 inch thick. don’t worry if it starts to crack on the edges. just pinch them back together best you can. the only place you don’t want it cracking is near the center.
(if you you did not divide the dough and are rolling it out to the 12-14 inch circle, it might be too large for the parchment and start to peek out of the edges of the parchment paper. this is okay, just dust the peeking edges of the dough with a little flour, on the top and bottom, to prevent it from sticking to the counter/your rolling pin and proceed to roll out the dough until it gets to be the right size.)slide dough (while still between the parchment) onto a rimmed baking sheet- it will probably hang over a little but that’s okay! refrigerate the dough again for a few minutes while you get the fruit ready.
preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
rolling the dough in between 2 pieces of parchment
for the filling
prep the fruit. depending on what fruit you’re using: if using a large fruit like apples or peaches cut them into small wedges. you can peel them if you want but you don’t have to. if using cherries, pit them. most berries you can leave whole. trim rhubarb and slice into 1/2-1 inch pieces (if mixing with strawberries or other fruit) or cut into ~5 inch long pieces if using alone.
place fruit in a bowl and add citrus zest (or garam masala) and juice along with about 1-2 tbs sugar and toss. if using very juicy fruit like berries or a stone fruit add the cornstarch and toss gently to coat.
finishing the galette
make the egg wash by combing the egg, milk or water, and pinch of salt and lightly beat it all together.
remove dough from the fridge and peel back the parchment on both sides. lay one piece of the parchment back onto the baking sheet, clean side down, and lay the crust on top. scrape the fruit into the center of the dough and gently push it towards the edges, leaving about a 3 inch border uncovered.
working in sections start to fold the uncovered border of the dough over the fruit, you will fold the edge over itself as you work. most of the fruit will be uncovered. if any dough is sticking to the parchment use the bench scraper to peel it up, being gentle as to not tear it.
using your pastry brush, brush the egg wash over all of the dough. the egg wash will make the crust beautiful and shiny and give it a nice golden-brown color.
sprinkle the dough and the fruit that is still visible with sugar in the raw (or granulated if you don’t have in the raw).
place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes. checking at the half way mark and turning the pan if one side is browning quicker than the other. you’ll know its ready when the crust is a deep golden brown. it might leak and thats okay! mine leaks almost every time, it will still be tasty as ever.
let the galette cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, to let the fruit and its juices set a bit, before slicing. if your galette has had a lot of leakage, let it cool slightly then transfer onto a large plate or serving platter (or clean sheet tray). this will prevent the leakage from hardening into a sort of burnt hard candy and making the galette stick to the parchment.
cut into ~8 slices (or 4 if using 1/2 crust) and serve with ice cream or homemade whipped cream.
this is a 4 person galette made with 1/2 the crust
peaches with garam masala