Tomato Galette

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You will want to make this galette repeatedly; this is

how amazingly delicious this tomato galette is. An explosion of flavors where the tomatoes play a prominent role. Suitable as a starter or main course.

What exactly is a galette? What is the difference between a galette and a pie? Galette is a French kitchen term and describes different flat round or free-form crispy cakes. One can use a roasting pan or other kind of cookie sheets for baking a galette in the oven, whereas a pie needs a pie mold of some sort.
First, you roll the dough and then transfer it to a cookie sheet – fill it with filling and then fold the sides over it. The clever thing is that you are not bound to make the galette round; you can make it rectangular, square, or whatever shape you like.
Pie or galette is both savory or dessert. Unlike pie dough, galettes do not need to be pre-baked.
I had different kinds of cherry tomatoes at home and decided to make a tomato galette – it turned out so good that I almost felt like I was in heaven!

A few things to keep in mind when making a tomato galette.

• Pulse the galette dough in the mixer to get a grainy dough, which you then place on your baking surface and push together. Must not be kneaded – then gluten forms, and you get a “doughy” galette shell.
• All ingredients must be well chilled when making a pie or galette. You don’t need to refrigerate the wheat flour or the salt, but everything else.

A few words about the filling

• I recommend plum tomatoes that are fleshier than others on the market. Combine it preferably with cherry tomatoes in different You eat with your eyes first.
• Basil and thyme work very well with tomatoes. But you can use the herbs of your choice. 
• The same freedom of choice applies to cheeses. I use a mixture of grated cheddar and mozzarella. The cheeses contribute to even more complex flavors and capture the liquid from the tomatoes.
• You can use gruyere that works just as well. 
• On top of the tomato, parmesan works very well – but you might like to use some crumbled good feta cheese instead – if so, be careful with the sea salt on top!
• The recipe includes some fresh herbs – you can just as well use dried herbs; if so, just use half the amount.  

However, if you choose to flavor your galette differently, ensure that the seasoning does not take over the flavor of the tasty tomatoes. Seasoning and spices, in general, must always be in the background and not in the front row!

I rolled the dough into a round shape 30 cm 12 inches) in diameter. Then I folded about 3 cm of dough over the filling; the finished galette was about 27 cm in diameter. As I mentioned before, you can shape it however you want.

Ingredients

Method

1. Dice the butter into cubes that are a maximum of 1.5 cm (3/4 inches). Put it in the fridge. Also, cool the water (90 g) or 6 tbsp.
2. Mix the flour and salt and pulse for 3 – 4 seconds so that everything is mixed.
3. Add the butter cubes and pulse 10 x 1 second to get a grainy mass. Must not become doughy! (See video).
4. Place the mass in a large bowl, and add ice-cold water a little at a time, preferably in three batches.
5. Flour and transfer the grainy mass onto the baking surface. Bring the dough together so that you get a ball.
6. Place plastic wrap on the baking surface. Place the dough ball on it.
7. Wrap the dough and flatten it with your hands. Package the dough and let it rest in the fridge for an hour.
8. Slice the tomatoes evenly – put them all in a colander with a bowl underneath and sprinkle 1 tsp of salt, mix well and set it aside. The salt causes the tomatoes to release liquid – precisely what we want to achieve.
9. Then mix the cheese and herb mixture that we will spread on the galette—mix 225 g of goat or Philadelphia cheese in a separate bowl. Add 1 egg yolk, 1 – 2 pcs. Pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp cayenne, 0.5 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 0.5 tsp dried thyme, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil. Mix well and then refrigerate it.
10. Take out the dough from the fridge after an hour, and lightly flour the baking table. Roll the dough into a round shape (30 cm in diameter) (12 inches). Turn it a few times during the process and flour if necessary.
11. Transfer the rolled dough to parchment paper, put the whole thing on a cookie sheet, and put it back in the fridge.
12. Grate the different cheeses if you don’t have a pre-mixed package.
13. Keep the Parmesan cheese separately.
14. Add the chopped spring onions to the tomatoes and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix
15. Take the dough out of the fridge again.
16. Spread the cheese and herb mixture over the dough – leaving 3 cm of space from the edge.
17. Sprinkle over 100 grams of grated cheddar and mozzarella.
18. Place the large tomato slices around and fill with the more petite tomatoes in the middle. Please do not bring the liquid as it now has formed again after we have added olive oil!
19. Fold in 3 cm of the dough over the filling and make folds (or creases) where needed. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the tomatoes and possibly some sea salt.
20. Brush the dough with a mixture of an egg and a little water.
21. Bake in the oven for about 45 – 50 minutes.

Allow cooling for 10 – 15 minutes before transferring the galette to a wire rack. Then, leave it for at least 20 minutes before you can cut it up and serve.

 Enjoy!