Galettes are one of the easiest pastries to make. The free-form French pastry does not require any special skills, anyone can make one! Galettes are such a beautiful dish to bring to the table. They are rustic and eye catching.
While many galettes are sweet, this tomato galette is made with savory fillings. Ricotta and Parmesan tucked under summer tomatoes with fresh herbs are the perfect combination.
I used Big Beef tomatoes from the garden but any other meaty tomatoes would work very well. To prevent a soggy galette, drain the sliced tomatoes well and try not to stack too many slices onto the crust. Slightly overlapping the tomatoes is the best method.
Tomatoes and thyme are a classic combination.
Dollop spoonfuls of ricotta over the Parmesan, leaving a border of 1 1/2-2 -inches, give or take. Remember, galettes are free-form and very forgiving.
A buttery, crispy crust surrounds the meaty tomatoes and cheese filling.
Tomato Galette with Ricotta & Parmesan
4
servingsIngredients
- Galette Crust
1 1/2 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick (113g) very cold butter, cut into cubes and refrigerated until ready to use
1 large egg, separated
4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
- Galette Filling
1 pound meaty tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick, drained well
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
1/2 cup (45g) coarsely grated Parmesan
1/2 cup (115g) ricotta cheese (drained if needed)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
8 basil leaves, julienned, for serving
Flaky sea salt (Maldon, Jacobson) for serving
Directions
- Galette Crust
- Whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter (or your fingers), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and no pieces of butter are larger than the size of peas.
- Add the egg yolk (reserve egg white for brushing crust) and 4 tablespoons of ice water to the flour mixture. Using your hands, work the dough until it just comes together and isn’t crumbly, adding more water by the teaspoon as needed. Dough should be slightly tacky. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees when you are ready to bake the galette.
- Meanwhile, lay tomato slices on a clean kitchen towel or layered paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt. Allow tomatoes to release excess water for 10 minutes. (While tomatoes are releasing their liquid, let chilled dough sit on the counter to soften slightly before rolling). Gently pat dry any excess liquid from tomato slices.
- Roll out the chilled dough on lightly floured parchment paper until it measures a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough on parchment paper to a baking sheet.
- Scatter Parmesan across the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 – 2-inch border (give or take). Dollop spoonfuls of ricotta onto the pastry (see photo above). Sprinkle half of the thyme over the cheese. Slightly overlap tomatoes over the cheese, working from the outer section of the dough. Sprinkle remaining thyme over the top along with a few grinds of black pepper. Fold and crimp the crust over the tomatoes (gently press the edges down as they tend to turn up when baking). Whisk the reserved egg white and brush over the folded crust.
- Bake galette for about 38-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool for 10 -15 minutes. Just before cutting and serving, sprinkle julienned basil over the center along with flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Leftover galette slices hold up very well in the refrigerator for a day or two.