Tomato Galette Recipe: How to Make Heirloom Tomato Galette
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 2, 2022 • 4 min read
With a simple recipe that’s almost impossible to mess up, galettes are a pie-like pastry that even the most novice home cooks can execute to perfection.
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What Is a Tomato Galette?
A tomato galette is a rustic French tart composed of free-form pastry dough topped with a savory tomato and goat cheese 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 a traditional galette filling consists of fruit, butter, and sugar, many chefs prepare galettes with rich, savory fillings. Popular savory variations use sliced peak summer tomatoes with fresh herbs or potatoes with rosemary for the perfect appetizer or brunch dish.
6 Tips for Making Tomato Galette
Making a satisfying tomato galette is similar to making other galettes, like apple galette, pear galette, and blueberry galette. Follow these tips to make the best galette possible:
- 1. Mix and match tomatoes. Switch up your galette by using several different varieties of tomato. Heirloom tomatoes come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and flavors to create a visually stunning and delicious dish.
- 2. Use in-season tomatoes. While fresh, in-season tomatoes are always the best choice for this unfussy dish, you can also make a delicious galette by substituting smaller grape or cherry tomatoes out of season. These are often grown in greenhouses, and the smaller tomatoes will have the most flavor compared to other varieties at the grocery store.
- 3. Balance with sweetness. Even though tomato galettes are savory, adding a touch of sugar will help balance the acidity of tomatoes and create a more robust flavor when baked. You can use granulated sugar or opt for brown sugar or a drizzle of honey for more depth.
- 4. Season the tomatoes. To avoid a watery galette, spread sliced tomatoes on a paper towel and sprinkle them with salt before assembling. After five to ten minutes, blot the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. This will also create a more concentrated tomato flavor for your pastry.
- 5. Experiment with flavors. Try adding a creamy layer of ricotta, goat cheese, whipped feta, or cream cheese to the galette before layering on the tomatoes. This will add richness and help keep the tomatoes in place when slicing and eating your galette. For some extra umami, fold grated Parmesan cheese into the filling or add a quarter cup to the pastry dough.
- 6. Use store-bought dough. For a quick and easy weeknight dessert option, make this recipe with store-bought pie dough, which will reduce prep time down to mere minutes.
Tomato Galette With Goat Cheese Recipe
makes
1 10-inch galetteprep time
2 hr 15 mintotal time
3 hr 5 mincook time
50 minIngredients
For the pie crust:
For the tomato filling:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
For the pie crust, 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, lay the tomato slices out in a single layer on paper towels. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and set aside to rest, 5–10 minutes.
- 7
While the tomatoes rest, in a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until evenly mixed. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- 8
Using paper towels, blot tomatoes to remove excess water.
- 9
Generously dust a clean work surface with flour, and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 10
Working quickly, spread goat cheese mixture over the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border; shingle tomatoes over the top.
- 11
Sprinkle the tomatoes with sugar, thyme leaves, and ¼ teaspoon each of flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
- 12
Then, using the parchment paper to guide you, fold the edges of the dough up and onto itself, one section at a time.
- 13
Brush the exposed dough with egg wash.
- 14
Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake galette for 40-50 minutes, until crust is golden-brown and the tomatoes are soft. If bits of tomato begin to burn before the crust is finished, simply tent a piece of foil over the filling and continue baking.
- 15
Cool the galette to room temperature before serving. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves.
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