Apple Galette
An apple galette is the rustic, free-spirited cousin of a classic apple pie. Unlike a pie, which is baked in a dish with a perfectly crimped crust, a galette is a free-form tart baked directly on a baking sheet. It starts with a single circle of pastry dough that is topped with a generous layer of spiced apple slices. The edges of the dough are then simply folded inward, creating a beautiful, imperfect border that partially encloses the filling while leaving the center exposed. This simple, no-fuss approach is what gives the galette its charming, "casually impressive" look.
The appeal of an apple galette lies in its wonderful contrast of textures and flavors. The exposed filling allows the apples to caramelize beautifully, developing a deep, rich sweetness that is simply irresistible. Meanwhile, the folded-over crust, often brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a coarse sugar, bakes to a golden, flaky, and crunchy perfection.Served warm, perhaps with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream, the apple galette offers all the comforting taste of a homemade pie but with a delightful rustic charm that makes it a perfect dessert for any occasion.
Serving an apple galette warm is an experience in itself. As the steam gently rises from the freshly baked pastry, a scoop of creamy vanilla bean ice cream is placed on top. Its cool, floral sweetness begins to melt into a luscious pool, mingling with the warm, spiced apples. To elevate this harmony of flavors, a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce is added, weaving its way over the entire creation. The caramel's deep, buttery notes and the sharp hint of salt cut through the richness, creating a symphony of taste that is both comforting and sophisticated. This perfect trio—warm, flaky galette; cool, creamy ice cream; and rich, salty caramel—transforms a simple dessert into an unforgettable indulgence.
Apple Galette
Makes 2 medium galettes. Feeds about 8-10
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough
300g all-purpose flour
20g sugar
Pinch salt
162g butter, cold and cubed
88g cold water
For the Apple Filling
4 large Honey Crisp or Gala apples (1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
6 Tbsp (75g) light brown sugar
1 lemon, zested, and 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp cornstartch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp Kosher salt
Toppings for Baking
Egg Wash
Course sugar or turbinado sugar
To Serve
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Method
Make the pie dough by mixing together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Add in the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, quickly work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This is important for a flaky crust, so avoid overmixing.
Pour in the cold water and stir gently with a fork or your hands until the dough just starts to come together. Do not knead the dough; simply mix it until no dry flour is visible. The dough will still look a little shaggy and that is okay.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press and flatten the dough into a disc. You can wrap it in plastic wrap at this point. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax, making it easier to roll out and preventing a tough crust.
While your dough is chilling, peel, core, and slice your apples. Place the sliced apples, brown sugar, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl, then toss to thoroughly mix.
Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut your chilled dough in half to make two galettes. On a lightly floured working surface, roll out both halves of the pie dough. Roll the dough out into a circle that is about 12 to 13 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the two dough circle onto your prepared baking sheets.
Top the center of your pie circle with half of the apple filling (the other half of the apple filling will be for your other galette pie). Leave about 2 inches of dough overhang on all sides. Gently fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling, overlapping the dough as your go around the pie. Press down gently to seal.
Brush the top of the galettes using a pastry brush with egg wash. Generously sprinkle with coarse turbinado sugar.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the galette is golden brown and the filling is bubbling in the center. Cool the galette for about 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack or your cutting board. Let the galette cool down for about half an hour to let the sugars settle in the pie.
Drizzle with a healthy amount of salted caramel sauce and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
