Rose's Baking Basics

Apple Galette

Serves 6 to 8

Oven Temperature: 400°F/200°C

Baking Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Baking Equipment: One 12 to 14 inch pizza pan, preferably dark metal, or a 17¼ by 12¼ by 1 inch half sheet pan

A baking stone or cookie sheet

Another cookie sheet, for holding the apples

A galette is a free form tart that can be made with many fruits or berries. It is easy to make, but by arranging the apple slices in concentric circles, the finished tart looks extraordinarily beautiful. This apple version is crisp, buttery, tart, and elegant. For the crispest bottom crust, be sure to use a preheated baking stone.

Perfect Flaky and Tender Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Dough for a galette

414 grams

1 recipe

Apple Filling

about 4 large tart apples (see Baking Pearls), 753 grams/1⅔ pounds	604 grams (sliced)	5⅓ cups (peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges no more than ¼ inch thick)
lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained	.	2 teaspoons (10 ml)
sugar	50 grams	¼ cup
unsalted butter	28 grams	2 tablespoons
apricot preserves	170 grams	½ cup
apricot brandy or water (optional)	15 grams	1 tablespoon (15 ml)

Preheat the Oven

▪ Forty-five minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the lowest level and place the baking stone or cookie sheet on it. Set the oven at 400ºF/200ºC.

Mise en Place

▪ Twenty minutes to 1 hour, ahead, slice the apples. Set them in a medium bowl and toss them with the lemon juice and sugar until evenly coated. (This will soften the apple slices, making them easier to arrange.)

▪ Cut the butter into small pieces and refrigerate.

▪ Have ready a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl.

Make the Galette

1. Follow the instructions found here for rolling the crust. Roll the dough as thin as possible—under ⅛ inch; ¹⁄₁₆ inch is ideal—and at least large enough to cut a 16 inch diameter disc. If at any point the dough softens, slip it, still on the dough mat, onto a cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until firmer.

2. Brush any flour from the dough. Gently fold the dough in quarters and transfer it to the pizza pan or half sheet pan. Carefully unfold it, leaving the overhang draped on the counter.

3. Empty the apple slices onto a cookie sheet so that you can separate the smaller from the larger ones. Arrange the apple slices, overlapping, in concentric circles within a 12 to 14 inch diameter (to the edge of the pizza pan, if using), starting toward the outer edge of the circle with the larger pieces, cored sides facing toward the center. If necessary, push a few slices of the fruit closer together and insert more slices evenly in between. Save the smaller pieces for the center. (A few seconds in the microwave will help to make the slices for the center more flexible.) Brush the apples with any liquid that remains in the bowl.

4. Dot the apples with the pieces of butter.

5. Fold the overhanging border of dough over the outer edge of the apples, allowing it to pleat softly at even intervals.

6. For a crunchy border, spritz or brush the dough rim lightly with water and sprinkle with a little sugar. If necessary, brush away any sugar on the surface of the pan.

Bake the Galette

7. Set the galette, on the pan, on the baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes. For even baking, rotate it halfway around. Continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the apples feel tender when pierced with a wire cake tester. If the edges of the apples start to brown, tent loosely with aluminum foil. Toward the end of baking, with a metal spatula, carefully lift up the crust to make sure it is not overbrowning. If necessary, lower the heat to 375ºF/190ºC, or lift the pan from the stone and move it to a higher shelf.

Cool the Galette

8. Set the galette on a wire rack and cool until warm before glazing.

Glaze the Galette

9. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the apricot preserves until boiling. Press them through the strainer. If necessary, stir in the brandy to thin slightly. Brush the glaze onto the apples.

10. Serve warm or room temperature.

Store Apple portion covered with lightly coated plastic wrap: room temperature, 2 days; refrigerated, 4 days.

Baking Pearls

The same varieties of apples as listed for Apple Pie (see Baking Pearls) are a good choice for a galette.

The dough under the thin layer of apples will puff up during baking. Either poke it in a few places with a wooden skewer after the first 20 minutes of baking, which will cause it to settle down, or omit the baking powder in the pie crust and double the salt. The baking powder, however, gives the side border the puffiest texture.

In order to roll the dough thinly, it is best to work in a cool room.

If your oven allows, instead of using a baking stone, it works very well to set the pizza pan directly onto the floor of the oven. Be sure to check after the first 20 minutes of baking and if the bottom crust is nicely browned, move it to a higher shelf.

Make This Recipe Your Own

You can use 3 to 3½ cups of other favorite fruit pie fillings, such as peaches (Peaches and Cream Kuchen), for other excellent galettes. Spread them in a single layer in the center of the dough, about 9 inches in diameter, and fold over the edge of the dough to cover the fruit almost completely, leaving a small opening in the center. Be sure to set a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the cookie sheet underneath to catch any possible drips from the bottom edges of the galette.

Making Apple Galette