The Best Apple Galette
Indulge your senses with The Best Apple Galette, a delightful twist on a classic dessert. This galette features a perfectly flaky and buttery crust that cradles a sumptuous filling of spiced apples. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of warm spices and tender fruit, creating a treat that’s as comforting as it is delicious. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a dessert enthusiast, this apple galette is sure to be a standout addition to any table.
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TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST PIE CRUST
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PERFECTLY FLAKY AND BUTTERY
COLD INGREDIENTS:
- Keep Ingredients Cold: The key to a flaky pie crust is cold ingredients. Ensure that your butter and any liquid you use, like water or milk, are chilled. You can even place your mixing bowl in the fridge for a few minutes before starting.
FAT:
- Use the Right Fat: Butter is a popular choice for pie crusts due to its rich flavor and ability to create flaky layers. Some bakers also use a combination of butter and shortening or lard for added flakiness and tenderness.
- Cut Butter into Flour: Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. This ensures the fat is evenly distributed, creating pockets of steam that puff up the dough when baked.
- Add Liquid Gradually: Slowly add ice-cold water to the flour-butter mixture. Stir with a fork or your hands until the dough just comes together. Avoid adding too much liquid, as this can make the crust tough.
DOUGH:
- Handle the Dough Gently: Overworking the dough can develop gluten, leading to a tough crust. Mix the dough until it just holds together, and avoid kneading it like bread dough.
- Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Chilling helps relax the gluten, making the dough easier to roll out and less likely to shrink during baking.
- Roll Out with Care: When rolling out the dough, use a lightly floured surface and a rolling pin. Work from the center outwards, turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness.
- Avoid Stretching the Dough: When transferring the dough to a pie pan, gently lift and lower it into place instead of stretching. Stretching can cause the dough to shrink during baking.
- Chill Again Before Baking: Once your pie is assembled, chill it in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes before baking. This helps solidify the butter and prevents the crust from shrinking.
- Use a Hot Oven: Start baking your pie in a preheated oven at a high temperature (around 425°F or 220°C) to quickly set the crust, then lower the temperature as needed for the filling. This initial heat blast helps achieve that flaky texture.
By following these tips, you can create a pie crust that is perfectly flaky and buttery, enhancing the overall taste and texture of your pie.
Here’s my Apple Pie Recipe
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INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
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To create The Best Apple Galette, it’s crucial to start with high-quality ingredients that bring out the best flavors and textures in this rustic dessert. Here’s a closer look at the components that make this galette truly exceptional:
FOR THE CRUST:
- All-Purpose Flour
- The foundation of the crust, all-purpose flour provides the right balance of structure and tenderness. It serves as a versatile base that can hold the filling while remaining flaky and delicate.
- Granulated Sugar
- A small amount of sugar in the crust adds a hint of sweetness and helps achieve a beautifully browned exterior during baking.
- Salt
- Essential for enhancing the overall flavor, salt balances the sweetness and brings out the buttery taste in the crust.
- Unsalted Butter
- The key to a flaky and rich crust, chilled unsalted butter creates layers by releasing steam as it melts during baking. This process results in a tender and crisp texture that envelops the apple filling perfectly.
APPLE PIE FILLING:
- Apples
- Choose firm, flavorful apple varieties such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji. These apples maintain their shape when baked and offer a delightful balance of tart and sweet flavors.
- Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar
- This combination provides a depth of sweetness, with granulated sugar offering a clean, sweet taste and brown sugar adding a hint of molasses richness.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg
- These warm spices are classic companions to apples, adding aromatic complexity and enhancing the natural flavors of the fruit.
- Flour
- The flour helps thicken the apple juices as they cook, ensuring the filling is not too runny and holds together beautifully within the crust.
- Salt
- Just like in the crust, salt in the filling balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Unsalted Butter
- Dotted over the apple filling, unsalted butter melts into the mixture, creating a luscious, rich sauce that coats the apples.
Egg Wash:
- Egg Yolk and Cream (or Milk or Water)
- An egg wash adds a glossy, golden finish to the crust, making the galette as visually appealing as it is delicious. It contributes to the crisp texture and the beautiful sheen on top.
Topping:
- Turbinado Sugar
- Sprinkled over the crust before baking, turbinado sugar adds a delightful crunch and a subtle caramel flavor, enhancing the galette’s rustic charm.
Together, these ingredients create a harmonious blend of flavors and textures, resulting in a galette that is both elegant and comforting—a true celebration of apple season.
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HOW TO MAKE THE BEST APPLE GALETTE
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- Prepare the Dough:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just holds together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Filling:
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and lemon juice until well coated.
- Roll Out the Dough:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough 12-inch circle. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.
- Assemble the Galette:
- Arrange the apple slices in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Dot the apples with the small pieces of butter. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples, pleating as necessary.
- Apply the Egg Wash:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush the mixture over the crust’s edges and sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the crust and apples.
- Bake the Galette:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Cool and Serve:
- Allow the galette to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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RECOMMENDED RECIPES
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The Best Apple Galette
Equipment
- baking sheet pan
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing bowls
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Pastry cutter, optional
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulate sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE FILLING
- 3 medium apples, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
EGG WASH
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, or milk or water
TOPPING
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Instructions
- PREPARE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just holds together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- PREPARE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and lemon juice until well coated.
- ROLL OUT THE DOUGH: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough 12-inch circle. Transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.
- ASSEMBLE THE GALETTE: Arrange the apple slices in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Dot the apples with the small pieces of butter. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples, pleating as necessary.
- APPLY EGG WASH: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush the mixture over the crust's edges and sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the crust and apples.
- BAKE THE GALETTE: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender.
- COOL AND SERVE: Allow the galette to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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