Apple Galette
Nov 15, 2014, Updated Jan 02, 2018
Flaky, buttery Apple Galette. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
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Confession – I am becoming obsessed with French Baking these days. I have always believed that no one talks desserts like the French do. All their desserts are so sophisticated and so delicious. I have always been drawn by the art of french pastry making, it fascinates me a lot. Macarons are gorgeous, so are their tarts and their breads? Ahh breathtaking! Sometimes I feel like running to Paris to learn it all. If only it was that easy, in fact I haven’t even been to Paris once! But one can always dream right?
I had tons of apples at home and I was constantly thinking what to do with them. Should I make pancakes or apple crisp or cupcakes but eventually I decided on Apple Galette, thanks to the french baking obsession!
Considering all my knowledge of french baking comes from books and internet, I am not sure how authentic it is. And so I am sure this recipe of apple galette is not as authentic as it should be but anyway I went ahead and made it and authentic or not it turned out super delicious. Galettes are similar to tarts except that they are rustic in look and are free form while tarts are made in tart pans. I think the fact that they are rustic is probably the best part about them, seriously I had fun rolling the dough because I didn’t have to make it look perfect.
Galette has a flaky buttery crust and so obviously the recipe calls for chilled butter. Here’s what I do, take out the butter from the referigerator and cut it into small cubes. I then place the butter cubes in a bowl, cover with a cling sheet and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. When you bake, the fat in the butter evaporates which leads to steam, leading to air pockets resulting in a flaky texture. Ice cold water is used so that fat doesn’t begin to melt until the dough is baked.
I think galettes make great desserts for any holiday party or just about any party. Why? 1) they look sophisticated but in reality are very easy to make 2) they aren’t really sweet compared to cakes, ice creams and cupcakes. It’s like the perfect light dessert to finish off your heavy dinner. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Divine!
I applied some apricot jam over the dough before placing the apples but that’s totally optional. You can put apple slices directly over the dough. Next I’m going to try this with almond cream, bet that would taste amazing!
Have a good weekend you all!
Method
In a bowl whisk together all purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt and lemon zest.
Take 9 tablespoons of chilled/frozen unsalted butter [cut into cubes] and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. You can also use your hands or fork to do the same. Also, you can grate the frozen butter and mix in the dough.
Cut the butter till the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Add ice water, little by little till the mixture starts coming together as a dough.
Transfer dough to a plastic wrap sheet and shape it in a disc form.
Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerate for 1-2 hours. I chilled mine for an hour.
While the dough chills, peel and core your apples.
Cut apples into slices of 1/8 inch thickness. Add granulated sugar and cinnamon powder and mix. Set aside.
Take out the chilled dough and sprinkle some flour on your working surface. Also sprinkle some flour on top of the dough.
Roll the dough into a 25 cm circle of 1/4 inch thickness. Don’t try to make this perfect and all round, this is supposed to be rustic.
Using the rolling pin transfer the dough onto an un-rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Apply apricot jam in the center of the dough leaving around 2 inch border.
Arrange apples in concentric circles as seen in the picture.
Arrange apples in a similar way inside, filling up the entire dough.
Now overlap and fold the dough so that it covers the apples. Press the dough where it overlaps.
Take little milk in a bowl and apply the milk with a pastry brush all over the folded dough crust and NOT over the apples.
Sprinkle turbinado (raw) sugar on the folded dough.
Bake at 400 F degrees for 25 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 F degrees and bake for additional 30 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top!
* The dough can be made in advance and frozen. That way you can make & eat galette whenever you want to.
* You can use egg wash to brush the dough in the end, I used simple milk.
Apple Galette
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled, cut into small cubes
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup ice water
- milk to brush the crust
- turbinado sugar to sprinkle [raw sugar]
Filling
- ¼ cup apricot jam
- 3 apples peeled & cored, cut into ⅛ inch thick slices
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together all purpose flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest.
- Take 9 tablespoons of chilled unsalted butter [cut into cubes] and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter. You can also use your hands or fork to do the same.
- Cut the butter till the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Add ice water, little by little till the mixture starts coming together as a dough.
- Transfer dough to a plastic wrap sheet and shape it in a disc form.
- Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerate for 1-2 hours. I chilled mine for an hour.
- While the dough chills, peel and core your apples.
- Cut apples into slices of 1/8 inch thickness. Add granulated sugar and cinnamon powder and mix. Set aside.
- Take out the chilled dough and sprinkle some flour on your working surface. Also sprinkle some flour on top of the dough.
- Roll the dough into a 25 cm circle of 1/4 inch thickness. Don't try to make this perfect and all round, this is supposed to be rustic.
- Using the rolling pin transfer the dough onto an un-rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Apply apricot jam in the center of the dough leaving around 2 inch border.
- Arrange apples in concentric circles starting from out and then going inside and filling the center. [see pictures]
- Now overlap and fold the dough so that it covers the apples. Press the dough where it overlaps.
- Take little milk in a bowl and apply the milk with a pastry brush all over the folded dough crust and NOT over the apples.
- Sprinkle turbinado (raw) sugar on the folded dough.
- Bake at 400 F degrees for 25 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 F degrees and bake for additional 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What can i use instead of Jam, lemon zest and butter? Any alternative?
this galette has a butter based crust and since I haven’t made this crust without it, I can’t say which substitute will work here. sorry
Where is the “Carmel” in this galette?
hmm there is no caramel, where does it say that there is one in the recipe?
I saw this on a buzzfeed post and have it baking in the oven as I type this! It was incredibly easy. I made it w my teenage son for some holiday bonding time and to teach him some cooking techniques before he goes off to college! I WILL be making this again! And it will be easy to use different variations.
We are serving ours with option caramel drizzle and vanilla bean ice cream! ?
Hope you like it Joanna! 🙂
I have to try a galette recipe, I love how you have all the steps in this easy to follow tutorial, thank you for that! Pinned and shared!
Thanks Sara!
Beauty! I love pies, tarts, galettes, anything with a short crust, and I so want to make everything with apple right now. I think the best part about galette is that it feels more like a casual dessert, whereas pie feels more formal. I dunno, maybe just me 😀
no not just you..i feel the same! I like that it’s not a very fancy dessert which has to be perfect!
it looks like a delicious galette!
I love your step-by-step photos, Manali! So awesome. And this galette does look perfect. So many things to do with apples, and you picked one of the best!
Thanks Mir, glad you like the step by step pictures and of course the galette 🙂
Who cares if it’s authentic if it tastes good!? amiright? It certainly looks delectable! I love a good free-form tart. Pinned!
haha yes I guess so Lindsey! Thanks for the pin!
French baking is definitely a wonderful thing to be obsessed with! I absolutely love the rustic look of a galette and yours is just gorgeous… The choice of apricot jam is brilliant and I bet it really complements the apples. Thanks for the recipe, Manali! Keep the French recipes coming:)
Thank you Heather…haha yes more french recipes to come…they are all just so amazing..GAAHH!
What an absolutely beautiful galette Manali! I love the apricot jam in the filling!!
Thank you Jessica! Using apricot jam was a good idea indeed!
This galette is gorgeous, Manali – so festive! I may just have to venture out and make myself some galette at home 🙂 Can’t wait to try! Pinned!
Thank you Ceara! You definitely should, it’s not a lot of work and is very delicious!
This looks so beautiful. I love the addition of the apricot jam too.
Thank you Dannii!
It’s not too hard to make a galette? I’ve never made one. It looks kinda hard. I have galette fear. But yours looks so gorgeous!! What a pretty dessert. The apricot jam is a great addition too! Hope you had a wonderful weekend, Manali!
It isn’t Sarah, it will be a cakewalk for you..give it a try! I had a good relaxing weekend, hope you had a good one too! and thank you 🙂
This is one gorgeous galette, Manali! I am seriously loving how old-fashioned and rustic it looks and all those caramel-y apples are making me drool! Pinning. 🙂
Thank for the pin Sarah, glad you like!
What a rustic and delicious looking Galette!! I can only imagine how amazing it tastes. . Yumm!
it did taste amazing Arpita, thanks! 🙂
I love the vintagy rustic looks- so pretty! it’s looks really de-lish too! yum!
Thank you Michele! 🙂
I don’t care about the authenticity but that galette looks rustic but gorgeous and I can imagine how good it must have tasted. The step by step tutorial is helpful.
Thank you! you are very sweet 🙂
Your apple galette looks so pretty. I need to bake myself a HUGE one too.
Thanks Angie!
Really stunning… I would love a piece right now!
Thanks Annie! Come over!
I love the rustic look of galettes and yours looks amazing! Mmm, the apricot jam sounds delicious with the apple filling and the almond cream sounds like a great idea for next time too 🙂 Love all the gorgeous pics too!
Me too Kelly, love the rustic look of galettes! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words!
Galettes are so pretty, I love the rustic look of them. I actually think they look nicer than pies, maybe pies are just too perfect? This one is beautiful,and I love the idea of using jam on the pastry under the apples!
Thank you Stacey and I agree with you! I love galettes too, they are very pretty 🙂
This galette looks absolutely beautiful, Manali! I’ve always been a little hesitant to make one, but this sounds like the perfect recipe. I love that you used apples, too! Pinned!
Thanks for pin Gayle! 🙂 It’s easy to make galette, give it a try!