Apple Galette
A free-form tart that forgives bad pastry work. Ground almonds under the fruit keep the base from going soft.
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- 45m
- Waiting
- 1h
- Total
- 2h 15m
- Serves
- 6
- Effort
- Moderate
Scale
Units
Method
| 1 1/2 cups | 1 Rub to coarse crumbs, then bring together with the water 10m Visible flecks of butter are what make it flaky. | 2 Rest the dough in the fridge, 1 hour 1h | 3 Roll to a rough 30 cm circle 5m Free-form. Cracks and uneven edges are the character of the thing. | 5 Pile the filling on, leaving a 5 cm border, and fold it in 10m | 6 Bake at 200°C / 400°F until the pastry is deep gold underneath 45m Check the base by lifting an edge. A pale bottom means a soggy tart. | |
| 1/2 cup | ||||||
| 1 tbsp | ||||||
| 1/2 tsp | ||||||
| 3 tbsp | ||||||
| 3 tbsp | ||||||
| 4 | 4 Toss together 8m | |||||
| 1/4 cup | ||||||
| 1 tbsp | ||||||
| 1/2 tsp | ||||||
| 1 egg, beaten | ||||||
| 1 tbsp | ||||||
- 1
Rub to coarse crumbs, then bring together with the water
10m- plain flour 1 1/2 cups
- cold unsalted butter 1/2 cup
- caster sugar 1 tbsp
- fine salt 1/2 tsp
- ice water 3 tbsp
Visible flecks of butter are what make it flaky.
- 2
Rest the dough in the fridge, 1 hour
1h- from 1 Rub to coarse crumbs, then bring together with the water
- 3
Roll to a rough 30 cm circle
5m- from 2 Rest the dough in the fridge, 1 hour
- ground almonds 3 tbsp
Free-form. Cracks and uneven edges are the character of the thing.
- 4
Toss together
8m- firm apples 4
- caster sugar 1/4 cup
- lemon juice 1 tbsp
- cinnamon (optional) 1/2 tsp
- 5
Pile the filling on, leaving a 5 cm border, and fold it in
10m- from 3 Roll to a rough 30 cm circle
- from 4 Toss together
- 6
Bake at 200°C / 400°F until the pastry is deep gold underneath
45m- from 5 Pile the filling on, leaving a 5 cm border, and fold it in
- egg wash 1 egg, beaten
- demerara sugar 1 tbsp
Check the base by lifting an edge. A pale bottom means a soggy tart.
Almonds as insurance
Fruit releases a surprising amount of liquid, and pastry that sits in liquid steams instead of baking. A scattering of ground almonds under the fruit absorbs the juice and turns it into something closer to frangipane. Semolina or crushed biscuit does the same job.
Notes
- Firm apples that hold their shape. A cooking apple collapses into sauce, which tastes fine and looks like nothing.
- Bake on the bottom shelf so the base gets direct heat.
- Best warm, within a few hours. It does not keep well because of the fruit.