Heirloom Tomato Galette
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the savory galette. Seasonal bounty aesthetically layered atop a flavorful schmear and tucked into a flaky, buttery crust, then finished with some dollops of cheese, sprinkles of flaky salt, and an accent of herbs? Helllll yeah dude. This is a format that works every time, any time (leeks in winter, squash in fall, asparagus in spring, etc.), but to me, the best time for a galette is the verrrry beginning of fall when the heirloom tomatoes are still at the market – not nearly as perfect, juicy, and bountiful as weeks prior but still there, and that’s gotta count for something right? And anyway, their destination is a galette, where we don’t want them overly juicy, but we do still want to put their psychedelic beauty on blast. These are also the weeks when turning the oven on for a while starts to feel manageable, if not compulsory. The world wants us to bake, and bake we shall, but we’re holding on to summer for one last scenic moment. Squash will get its turn, but for now, it’s tomato galettes for as long as we can.
That being said, this dough will still be singing even when tomatoes are long gone (soon, too soon), and can be filled with whatever combo of sauce/spread and veg you desire. It freezes well, too – just wrap the ball of dough tightly in plastic film right after kneading it together and pop it in the fridge 12-ish hours before you want to use it.
Ingredients:
Galette Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ sticks cold, unsalted butter unsalted, cubed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup ice water plus more as needed
2 teaspoons salt
Galette Filling
4-6 heirloom tomatoes of varying sizes and colors
Kosher salt
¼ cup pesto
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
1 egg
Ricotta
Flaky salt
Black pepper
Directions:
Make the galette dough
Combine flour, butter, and salt in a large food processor (ideal) or bowl of a standing mixer (less ideal, but possible). Pulse the ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized bits. Transfer to a bowl (if not in one already), and add apple cider vinegar and ice water. Combine using a fork or the standing mixer just until the dough starts to come together.
Dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough to the surface, kneading it until there are no dry parts. Form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic film, and put it in the fridge for at least two hours.
Assemble, bake, and finish the galette
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the tomatoes into ½ inch slices (use a serrated knife!). Season with Kosher salt on both sides and lay out the slices on paper towels to absorb the extra moisture.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the galette dough out into as circular of a shape as you can, flipping the dough and adding a sprinkle of flour here and there until the “circle” is about 12 inches in diameter and pretty thin but not too thin.
Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving 2-ish inches around the edge without pesto.
Nestle the tomato slices over the pesto, spreading out the colors and varieties to create an ombré effect.
Fold the edges of the galette onto itself to seal it all in, pressing a bit but not too hard to secure the folds.
Beat an egg and brush the exposed dough with the egg wash.
Place the galette in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on your oven’s hotness). The dough should be golden brown and shiny.
Remove from oven, let it rest a couple of minutes, and then carefully transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with flaky salt and black paper. Add dollops of ricotta and basil leaves (if your leaves are large, chiffonade them instead of using whole).
Cut into slices and serve warm (ideally) or room temp (totally good).