Pear Galette Recipe: How to Make Pear Galette
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jan 6, 2022 • 5 min read
With a simple recipe that’s almost impossible to mess up, pear galettes are a pie-like pastry that even the most novice home cooks can execute to perfection.
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What Is a Pear Galette?
A pear galette is a rustic French dessert composed of free-form pastry dough topped with a sweet or savory filling. The word "galette” comes from the Norman word “gale,” meaning flat cake. Galettes are popular both for their ease of creation and their versatility.
While summer produce is most common for galettes, pear galettes are a popular autumn fruit dessert, with sliced pears folded into buttery galette dough. Apple, grape, and juicy pear galettes come together nicely for a fall dessert.
Galette vs. Tart: What’s the Difference?
Flaky, firm galette crust is made from flour, fat (like butter, shortening, or lard), cold water (occasionally including vinegar or vodka), and salt. It is the same style of dough used to make pie crust, though they are shaped and baked differently. Tart shells, on the other hand, are made with a conventional pastry dough: flour, butter, water, and occasionally sugar, which results in a more crumbly, “short crust" when baked.
Tarts are generally the more delicate and composed of the two, featuring intricate patterning and less forgiving textures, though some variations use a crust more similar in form to a rough puff pastry. Galettes are often considered more humble and rustic—shaped freeform and often paired with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, à la mode. Whereas picture-perfect tarts are often carefully removed from their tart pan and served on their own.
What Is a Pear Galette?
A pear galette is a rustic French dessert composed of free-form pastry dough topped with a sweet or savory filling. The word "galette” comes from the Norman word “gale,” meaning flat cake. Galettes are popular both for their ease of creation and their versatility.
While summer produce is most common for galettes, pear galettes are a popular autumn fruit dessert, with sliced pears folded into buttery galette dough. Apple, grape, and juicy pear galettes come together nicely for a fall dessert.
Galette vs. Tart: What’s the Difference?
Flaky, firm galette crust is made from flour, fat (like butter, shortening, or lard), cold water (occasionally including vinegar or vodka), and salt. It is the same style of dough used to make pie crust, though they are shaped and baked differently. Tart shells, on the other hand, are made with a conventional pastry dough: flour, butter, water, and occasionally sugar, which results in a more crumbly, “short crust" when baked.
Tarts are generally the more delicate and composed of the two, featuring intricate patterning and less forgiving textures, though some variations use a crust more similar in form to a rough puff pastry. Galettes are often considered more humble and rustic—shaped freeform and often paired with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, à la mode. Whereas picture-perfect tarts are often carefully removed from their tart pan and served on their own.
Simple Pear Galette Recipe
makes
1 10-inch galetteprep time
2 hr 15 mintotal time
3 hr 5 mincook time
50 minIngredients
For the crust:
For the filling:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- 3
Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture, and work it between your fingers until the dough resembles coarse crumbs and there are no large pieces left (the dough should just hold together when pressed in a handful). Alternatively, use the pulse function on a food processor, taking care not to overwork the dough.
- 4
Turn the dough out onto a clean floured surface, and add the cold water and vinegar. Comb through the dough with your fingers until well-combined, then begin to knead the dough until it comes together, no more than a couple of minutes.
- 5
Divide and form into a shaggy disc about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- 6
While the dough rests, combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl. Stir to evenly combine.
- 7
Generously dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll the dough into an 12-inch circle. Gently transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 8
Working quickly, arrange the pear mixture in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Then, using the parchment paper to guide you, fold the edges of the dough up and onto itself, one section at a time.
- 9
Brush exposed dough with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- 10
Bake galette for 40-50 minutes, until crust is golden-brown and the pears are soft. If bits of pear begin to burn before the crust is finished, simply tent a piece of foil over the fruit and continue baking.
- 11
Cool the galette to room temperature before serving.
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