Apple Galette Recipe

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Yield:

8 servings

Jacques Pépin loves to serve this delicate apple galette as a buffet dessert, since it's beautiful, easy to slice, and simple to eat, pizza-style, while standing. The miraculously easy and versatile pastry dough comes together in a food processor in less than 20 seconds and can be filled with all sorts of fruits or vegetables. Because the tart is free-form, the pastry can be rolled into either a round or a rectangle.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an apple pie and an apple galette?

While both are spiced baked apple desserts in pastry crusts that are popular throughout fall, there are a few key differences between pies and galettes. Fruit pies typically feature a double crust or a bottom crust and a crumb topping. They’re baked in a pie dish, which helps to maintain the shape of the pie and create mile-high slices. Galettes are a rustic, free-form pie shaped by hand and baked on a baking sheet. The dough is rolled out into a large circle and the filling is arranged in the middle; a few inches of dough are then folded over the filling, leaving some peeking out.

Is galette crust the same as pie dough?

Galette crust and pie dough are essentially the same, made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, salt, and ice water. You can use a food processor or a mixing bowl and pastry cutter to make the dough. Both galette and pie dough should be chilled in the refrigerator before rolling and baking; this step ensures the butter is chilled so the crust bakes up with flaky layers.

How do you keep galette bottoms from getting soggy?

First, make sure to preheat your oven to ensure it is hot before you bake. Use an oven thermometer to measure the accuracy of your oven’s temperature, as a cool oven can lead to a soggy pie crust. Bake your galette on a high-quality metal baking sheet, as metal is the best conductor of heat and provides even heat distribution, thus helping the bottom crust to crisp up.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Keeping the pastry dough as cold as possible is important to creating those coveted flaky layers in the crust. This means using cold butter and ice water to make the dough and then wrapping it and refrigerating it for about 30 minutes until thoroughly chilled.

Make ahead

The buttery pastry can be refrigerated overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for five to 10 minutes to make it easier to roll out.

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Ingredients

Pastry

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
1/3 cup ice water

Filling

4 Golden Delicious apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey (preferably wildflower)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)

Directions

In a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar, salt and butter and process for about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and process until the pastry just begins to come together, about 10 seconds; you should still be able to see small pieces of butter in it. Transfer the pastry to a work surface, gather it together and pat into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate until chilled. (You can also roll out the pastry and use it right away.)
Peel, halve, and core the apples and slice them crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Set aside the larger center slices and coarsely chop the end slices and any broken ones; about half of the slices should be chopped. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a 12- x 14-inch rectangle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the chopped apples over the pastry to within 1 inch of the edge. Drizzle the honey over the chopped apples. Decoratively arrange the apple slices on top in concentric circles or in slightly overlapping rows. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the apples and dot with the pieces of butter. Fold the pastry edge up and over the apples to create a 1-inch border.
Bake the apple galette for about 1 hour, until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and all of the apples are tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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