Butternut Squash Galette Recipe: Variations and Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 7, 2023 • 4 min read
Depending on your seasonings of choice, you can make butternut squash galette sweet, savory, or somewhere in between. The flaky, all-butter pie crust is easy to put together, and you can pair it with a range of fillings and flavors.
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What Is a Galette?
A galette is a free-form tart typically made with a flaky all-butter crust surrounding seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. Depending on the filling, a galette can be sweet or savory and served as an appetizer, main course, or dessert, depending on the occasion.
3 Variations on Butternut Squash Galette
These easy variations add flavor and complexity to this simple squash recipe. Go savory with onions or cheese, or sweet for a rustic alternative to pumpkin pie.
- 1. Caramelized onion: Deeply flavorful and easy to prepare, caramelized onions or shallots add richness to a savory galette. Simply spread a layer of caramelized sweet or red onions across the base of the galette crust before assembling the rest of your fillings. If you’ve never made them before, follow this guide to making caramelized onions.
- 2. Cheese and herb: Feta, ricotta, or goat cheese add a tangy flavor that balances sweet winter squash. Make a cheese mixture with herbs like fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary, then spread it over the crust and layer pre-roasted squash over the top before baking. The resulting filling will be savory, creamy, and elegant. Garnish your galette with fresh sage leaves to hint at the underlying flavors.
- 3. Pie-spiced: Instead of a traditional pumpkin or sweet potato filling, mash roasted butternut squash with a beaten egg, a splash of heavy cream, and warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom for a unique take on a classic holiday staple.
3 Tips for Making Butternut Squash Galette
Here’s how to make a flaky crust and flavorful, tender squash filling.
- 1. Keep the dough cold. Butter plays a vital role in giving rich flavor to tart and pie dough, but it also provides structure. As cold butter melts in the oven, it creates pockets of steam that become shatteringly crisp layers. Chill the dough after mixing and again after rolling to keep the butter from melting.
- 2. Par-roast the squash. Like most vegetables, butternut squash releases steam as it cooks. Roasting the squash before assembling helps ensure your galette won’t become watery after baking. You can make each component (dough and roasted squash) ahead of time and assemble the galette when you’re ready to bake. Alternatively, make everything on the same day (the oven temperature is the same for the squash and the galette).
- 3. Brush the dough with an egg white. To prevent a galette with a soggy bottom, brush the surface with an egg white before adding the filling. Save the yolk, and use it to make an egg wash to brush on the outer edges of the dough for an inviting golden-brown exterior.
Savory Butternut Squash Galette Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
45 mincook time
35 minIngredients
For the all-butter pastry crust:
For the filling:
To assemble:
Note: The total time does not include 1 hour 10 minutes of inactive time.
Make the pastry crust:
- 1
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- 2
Slowly drizzle in the cold water one tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to hold together. (You may not need all of the ice water.)
- 3
Carefully shape the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc.
- 4
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Make the filling:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Toss the sliced squash with about one tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the slices in an even layer on a baking sheet.
- 3
Roast the squash until it is flexible but not fully cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- 4
Remove the squash from the oven and set it aside to cool. To make ahead, transfer the squash to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- 5
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, herbs, Parmesan, pepper, and salt, and set it aside. To make ahead, transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Assemble the galette:
- 1
If you have not already done so, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- 3
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large ⅛-inch-thick circle.
- 4
Transfer the dough circle to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
- 5
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg white on the surface of the pastry dough.
- 6
Spread the cheese mixture onto the dough in an even layer, leaving a 2-inch border along the edge.
- 7
Arrange the par-roasted squash across the top of the cheese, tucking the edges into the cheese as you go. Keep layering until you’ve used all the squash.
- 8
Gently fold the pastry border over the filling, overlapping the edges of the dough as needed and leaving the center of the galette open.
- 9
Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and brush all of the exposed pastry with an even layer of egg wash.
- 10
Sprinkle the border lightly with grated Parmesan cheese.
- 11
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling has caramelized, about 35 minutes.
- 12
Remove the galette from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before slicing.
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