How to: Apple Galette (Recipe)

A recipe for one of the few things I know how to make: An Apple Galette. This article offers : a recipe, a history, and food interpretations.

https://www.shaunasever.com/journal/2010/05/apple-frangipane-galette.html

A Galette is simply the casual version of a pie. While pies are primped, layered, and baked thoroughly, Galettes require minimal preparation, and can be eaten not long after they are baked.

Galettes are not very popular in the United States. They are most popular in their birthplace, France. Popularized in the 1900s, Apple Galettes are thought to have been a part of French baking for centuries. A Galette is a pastry with some sort of fruit filling, and roughly folded crust. It is similar to the likes of a pizza, though it tastes more like a tart. There are multiple types of Galettes – Pear, Apple, Cherry, Lemon, Blueberry, and more. The varieties of Galettes are named after the fillings they have in their middle.

Apple Galettes can vary in appearance.

Recipe

The recipe is split into three parts: Dough, Filling, and full Galette. All the ingredients for each part are included in each separate section.

Dough:

If you want to save time, you can buy pre-made pie dough. If you do this, prepare the pie dough as needed and let it cool in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup of all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1.5 sticks of butter (Preferably unsalted)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of water (NOT to be added to the dough)

First mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. On the side, try to melt the butter to a creamy consistency – make sure it isn’t too watery. Next, incrementally add the butter to the dry ingredients bowl. Now, adding some water when necessary, mix the dough until it is more solid. The necessary factor plays in when the mixture becomes dry. You do not have to use all of the water – just make sure to add it until the dough is more moist. Subsequently, wrap the dough in foil or plastic and leave it in the fridge for about an hour. It’s not necessary to do this, but it is recommended. In fact, an hours worth of refrigerated dough guarantees a quality Galette crust.

Filling:

This section is more manual, and will be difficult to substitute. If you like, you can buy a filling from a grocery store. However, Galette fillings are meant to be specifically made, and any old filling will not do. Meanwhile, or before making the filling, ready the oven at around 375 to 380 degrees.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 thinly sliced apples
  • 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons of cinnamon

Luckily, this step happens to be very easy. Keep the apple slices in a large enough bowl and add the brown sugar and cinnamon into it. Mix the apples together until they have attained a new, brownish color.

Full Galette:

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil/Any type of oven suitable, edible oil

Prepare a pan (suited for the oven,) and line it with parchment paper. Once this is done, lightly oil the parchment paper. This bit is vital for the easy removal of the Galette. Now, place the newly refrigerated dough onto the pan. Spread it out lightly, and do not flatten the dough out. Make sure that the dough has an evident amount of thickness. Now, take the ingredients for the filling. Place the thin apple slices and layer them onto the dough, leaving just enough of the dough as a rim. You can use the picture above for reference. After you finish this step, fold the edges of the dough out onto the top of the apples. When this is complete, dust the dough with any leftover cinnamon, brown sugar, or oil. This maximizes the gourmet taste of the Galette.

After you complete these steps, place the Galette inside of the oven for up to 40 minutes. Keep checking the oven to avoid burning. If needed, you can also leave it in the oven for more time. The goal is to have a golden-brown tint surrounding the Galette.