It’s tomato season and I can’t think of a better way to highlight and use this fresh, bright and all-around amazing fruit (or vegetable) than to make it into a rustic Tomato Galette. A galette is simply a pastry crust or tart that is wrapped around sweet or savoury ingredients.
Don’t be intimidated! My pastry crust recipe is simple, light, buttery and so flaky and comes together quickly. It’s topped with sharp white cheddar cheese and gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, which are showered with Herbes de Provence, garlic, pepper and fresh basil. It couldn’t be easier!
It’s a great summer meal idea and dish to serve for brunch, lunch, dinner, a date night or even an appetizer at a summer gathering. It’s sure to wow the crowd! Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 135 minutes (includes 75 minutes of inactive time for chilling the dough)
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Pastry Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp water, cold (see Notes below)
Tomato Filling
3 large heirloom tomatoes (approx. 2 lbs), cut into 1/3 inch slices (see Notes below)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup old sharp white cheddar, grated
1/4 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg, beaten
6 basil leaves, chiffonade, as garnish
Instructions:
Making the Pastry Crust: To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt and whisk together until fully incorporated. Then, add the butter and, using your hand, gently work it into the dry ingredients until it resembles pea-sized crumbles. Pour in the vinegar and water and stir until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough or you will be left with a tough crust.
Form the dough into a ball, slightly flattening it, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425F and grab a 11” x 17” rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
Prepping the Tomatoes: While the dough is chilling, place the sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Season them liberally with salt. Cover the tomatoes with a second piece of paper towel and gently pat them down. Set aside and let them rest for 30 minutes.
Once the tomatoes have rested, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. This will make the dough more pliable and easier to work with.
Forming and Filling the Galette: Dust a parchment paper sheet with some flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 12” circle. Then, transfer the parchment paper and dough to the cleaned baking sheet.
Spread mustard over the base of the crust, starting from the centre and working your way outwards, leaving the last 1 1/2 inches of the crust untouched or uncovered. Then, sprinkle the grated cheese over the mustard.
Layer the tomatoes over the grated cheese in a circular fashion. Then, season the tomatoes with Herbes de Provence, ground pepper and garlic. Drizzle honey and olive oil over top.
Gently fold up the uncovered edges of the crust into the centre of the galette. Noting that overlap of crust is totally normal here. Gently press down any folds or seams to prevent separation during the baking process. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Remove the galette from the refrigerator and brush the top of the crust with a beaten egg. This will help bind the dough and it will give your galette a lovely gloss and sheen.
Baking the Galette: Transfer the galette to the oven and bake it for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the galette from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Using a Food Processor: The food processor will definitely speed up the pastry crust process. Simply add the flour, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse it 2 times until fully incorporated. Then, add the butter to the food processor and pulse it 15 - 20 times or until the ingredients come together to form pea-sized crumbles. Pour in the vinegar and water and pulse another 6 - 8 times or until the dough just comes together.
Importance of Water Temperature: Before you start prepping the dough, place 4 Tbsp of water into the freezer for a few minutes to ensure the water is extra cold, but not frozen. This will help keep your butter and dough cold, yielding a lighter and flakier crust.
Substituting the Heirloom Tomatoes: If you don’t have heirloom tomatoes on hand or can’t find them at your local grocer, feel free to substitute them with beefsteak, Roma or vine tomatoes. Given that sizes of tomatoes vary, you want to ensure that you have roughly 2 lbs of tomatoes to cover a 10” inch galette.
Draining the Excess Moisture from the Tomatoes: Seasoning the sliced tomatoes with salt, will draw out excess moisture, while the paper towel or tea towel help with absorbing it. This step is crucial to prevent a soggy crust. And, don’t worry about the tomatoes, they’ll still be juicy and full of delicious flavour.
Using Parchment Paper to Roll Out the Dough: This is optional and you can roll the dough out onto your counter. However, I just find rolling the dough out onto a floured parchment paper sheet is easier and hassle-free. Plus, it makes transferring the crust to the baking sheet a lot less daunting and prevents the crust from cracking.
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