GALETTE DOUGH

To make Galette Dough, I use the fraisage method. Fraisage is a French approach that requires the dough to be smeared across the work surface, forming long strands of butter in the dough. As it bakes, the thin sheets of butter create a perfectly flaky crust that will hold up to any juicy fruit baked inside. I’ve tried other techniques, but they always leave the bottom crust soggy. Once you try fraisage, you’ll find it works every time! makes enough for one 9-inch galette, or four 4-inch galettes

9 tablespoons (128 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 8 to 10 pieces

1½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Put the butter in a small bowl and place it in the freezer. Fill a medium liquid measuring cup with water and add plenty of ice. Let both the butter and the ice water sit 5 to 10 minutes.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the size of small peas, 8 to 10 pulses. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time through the feed tube, and process after each addition until dough holds together when pinched; you’ll need 2 to 6 tablespoons of water.

TO FRAISAGE THE DOUGH

Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangular-shaped pile. Using the heel of your hand, firmly smear long strips of dough away from you and across the work surface. Continue to smear until the entire pile of dough has been worked, stacking the pieces that form into another pile as you go (see here). Collect the smeared dough and move it back to its starting point and repeat the process, smearing the dough away from you using the heel of your hand. The dough should now be cohesive. Gather the dough and form it into a 6-inch disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

VARIATION

spelt dough • Replace the 1½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour with 1¼ cups (179 g) all-purpose flour and ¼ cup (25 g) spelt flour for a mildly flavored spelt dough.