What is a French galette?

It's a flat, rustic, free-form pie or tart, where the dough is rolled and filled, but no pie pan is used. So there's no lining the pan or crimping the edges. It's baked on parchment paper or a baking sheet.

What is the difference between a galette and a crostata?

In theory, galette is the French name, and crostata is the Italian name for a free-form pie, so you can use them interchangeably. But, the Italians also call crostata some lattice pies, especially with jam, like the fig jam lattice pie .

What are the best apples for galette?

Any baking apple works, such as Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious. I like to use the green Granny Smith ones because they hold their shape well and are less sweet, which is great when adding sauces, ice cream, or other toppings to the galette.

Is galette dough the same as pie dough?

It can be, as most doughs used for pies are good for galettes. We're talking about the classic pie crusts, like the flaky pie crust , sweet shortcrust pastry , or the Italian pasta frolla , my favorite for galettes.

How do I keep my galette from getting soggy?

You must roll the dough while still cold, assemble the galette quickly, and have the oven preheated. Bake it immediately after assembling it. That way, the fruit will not have time to release juices before the crust bakes. Alternatively, sprinkle the crust with a few tablespoons of ground almonds or cookie crumbs before adding the sliced fruit. It will soak up any liquid the fruit releases.

Rustic Apple tart (easy galette recipe)

Ingredients

Units

1 recipe for Flaky Pie Crust
3-4 Granny Smith apples (the green ones)
3-4 tablespoons white or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or apple pie spice)
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup caramel sauce or homemade dulce de leche

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Instructions

Preheat the oven at 350°F/180°C.
Peel, core and cut apples into approximately 1/4-inch slices.
Roll out the cold pie dough on a lightly floured surface and have two large pieces of parchment paper and a baking sheet ready.
Halfway through rolling, transfer the pie crust circle to the paper and continue rolling until 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.
Put the paper on the baking sheet, place another piece of paper on top (to avoid dryness), and refrigerate it while you prepare the filling.
Mix apple slices with cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and combine lightly, until the apples are coated but be careful not to break them.
Leaving about 2-inch border (up to 3 inches top) of dough on the outer edge, put the apple slices over the dough, making mounds or concentric circles until the surface is covered. If the apples released liquid, strain it before using the apples. Don't discard it.
Sprinkle the apples with the chopped nuts.
Lift the sides of the dough inward, covering part of the apples and exposing the center.
Mix the egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the folded edges with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with some extra brown sugar.
If you have some reserved liquid from the apples, drizzle it now on top of the apples.
Bake immediately for about 40 minutes, until the apples are soft and the crust is golden and fully baked.
Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes and carefully lift it, transferring the paper to the cooling rack to cool down more.
Serve warm with caramel sauce or dulce de leche and a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Store leftovers at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for a few days, always covered in plastic wrap or a container.

Notes

Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!

Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes are as accurate as I they can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.

Cold pie crust: it's important that the galette dough is cold when you put it in the oven. This will ensure that it doesn't turn soggy.

Purchased dough: if in a hurry, a store bought flaky pie crust of puff pastry works very well.

Apples: I favor Granny Smith, the green ones, but you can use any baking apple. Keep in mind that red apples are sweeter, as will the tart after it's baked. You might want to add a squeeze of lemon juice after sprinkling with the cinnamon sugar.

The apple slices: how thin or thick you cut them is up to you. Thinner ones will bake faster, will be softer by the time the pie crust is fully baked, and you'll have to make two or three layers to achieve a substantial filling. With thicker slices (image below) you can make only one layer of apples. They will be soft but still somewhat crunchy.

Author: Paula Montenegro
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Pies & Tarts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: International