Flaky Galette Crust

When I was living in Vancouver, I had the sweetest neighbors. My Northside neighbor was Ajax. A lovely lady with the most beautiful garden you can imagine. What I adored about her garden was its wildness, a miniature forest on its own. She spent hours in her garden, taking care of flowers or harvesting vegetables and herbs.

There was a beautiful old Mirabelle plum tree in her garden that a large part of it was shadowing the narrow alley behind her house. One day she asked me if I was interested in Mirabelle plums and that I could pick as many plums as I wanted. I spent a couple of hours standing on a half-broken wooden chair, picking plums in that tiny alley. Those yellow sunkissed plums were the tastiest Mirabelles that I ever had. The next day, I made a small Mirabelle galette for her.

Galettes are one of my favorite things to make. If you follow me on Instagram, this is no wonder. They can be sweet or savory, ideal for all the seasons. They are easy to make and versatile. I always make a few batches of my all-butter dough and keep them in the freezer. You can make galettes with any fruits or vegetables that you desire. Just adjust the spices and sweetness to your taste.

This recipe makes one small/medium galette. Galettes are best when eaten fresh. They won't last long on your table anyway.

Ingredients

150 grams all-purpose flour

120 grams cold butter, cubed

1 generous pinch of salt

1 tbsp superfine sugar (you can skip this for savory galettes)

2-3 tbsp ice-cold water

Method

In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar (if using) until well incorporated.

Add the cold butter cubes to the bowl, and using your fingers, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is off-white and there are a few pea-sized pieces of butter left in the bowl. If the weather is warm or the butter is getting soft, refrigerate the bowl for a few minutes.

Add the ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time, and gently mix with your hands or a fork until a dough forms. The dough should not be wet. It is noteworthy not to knead the dough but press it gently until it doesn't fall apart.

Make the dough into a flat disk, wrap it nicely with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Make your preferred filling and arrange it on top of the dough. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, and press gently to seal. Brush the edge of the galette with an egg wash, and sprinkle with some sugar or flaked almonds for extra crunchiness.

Bake your galette at 190 C for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Depending on what fruit(s) you are using for the galette, you might have to add a bit of cornstarch to your filling, as some fruits like plums release lots of liquid during baking, and cornstarch helps thicken the juice. I won’t suggest using frozen fruits.

For making an egg wash, whisk together an egg with 1 tbsp of milk.