This tomato galette recipe is a simple and savory version of a fruit galette and is perfect if you want pie for dinner but don’t want to deal with everything that goes into making a pie crust. The word “galette” can refer to a few different types of food, such as the galette des rois, a flat, round cake on which king cake is based. But fruit galettes, which can contain fillings other than fruit, are basically pies made without a pie pan. They are pie dough rolled out into a circle with fillings in the middle and the edges of the dough folded over the edges of the filling. The dough can be trimmed first for a neater look or left uneven for a more rustic appearance. If you’d like to make more galettes after you try this one, here’s a selection of galette recipes from which you can choose.
Galettes have some big advantages over traditional pies made in pans. The flat galette bakes quickly compared to a pie and you won’t need to blind-bake the dough, either (this is when you pre-bake the empty pie shell). The main disadvantage is that, because no pie pan with sides holds up the dough, you can’t have very soft fillings. Pie crust isn’t that difficult to make, but so much goes into preparing the crust, from blind-baking and trimming to stretching and crimping the edges that sometimes you just don’t want to mess with it. Making a galette, especially for flat fillings such as cheese slices and cherry tomato halves, is a far more relaxing process.
Tomato Galette Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: You want a dough that’s relatively high in protein for this galette so that the crust has some strength. Don’t use bread flour, however, as that’s got too much protein and will turn out chewy rather than flaky.
- Baking powder: This leavener gives the dough a little rising power.
- Kosher salt: Part of this salt will go into the dough, while the rest is used to prepare the tomatoes. Use kosher salt because the larger crystals take longer to dissolve, giving the salt flavor more time to spread throughout the dough.
- Unsalted butter: This butter makes the crust flaky and rich. Use unsalted to better control the amount of sodium in the dish.
- Sour cream: Sour cream helps make the dough and crust richer, along with the butter. It also helps make the dough easier to form into a ball and roll out.
- Heirloom cherry tomatoes: These tomatoes give the galette filling a more interesting look.
- Pecorino romano cheese: The saltiness and smokiness of this cheese pairs well with tomatoes.
Directions
Step 1: Make the dough
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the whole mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the sour cream and form a ball with the dough. Shape the dough into a disk, and then cover it. Refrigerate the dough for two hours or until the dough is firm enough to handle and roll out.
Step 2: Prepare the tomatoes
Put the cut tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle with the rest of the salt. Toss the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Roll out the dough
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Sprinkle flour over a sheet of parchment paper, place the dough on the flour and roll the dough out to form a circle that’s 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the paper and dough to a baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake the galette
Arrange the cheese slices flat in the center of the dough circle, leaving 2 inches uncovered all around the edge. Arrange the tomatoes on the cheese, and start folding the uncovered edges of the dough over the filling. Pleat the edges of the dough. You should still be able to see filling in the center of the galette after the dough edges have been folded over. Bake the galette for about 25 minutes. When done, the cheese should be bubbly and the crust golden-brown. Let the galette rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tomato Galette Variations
- Use sliced tomatoes instead of halved cherry tomatoes: If you have some larger tomatoes that you want to use up, you can use those, sliced, instead of cherry tomatoes.
- Use puff pastry sheets or store-bought dough: If you want to make this even easier, use store-bought dough to create the crust or fold and cut puff pastry sheets.
How to Store a Tomato Galette
Store leftovers (if you have them) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. It’s not a good idea to freeze the leftovers as the tomatoes may not thaw that well.
Can you make a tomato galette ahead of time?
Because the storage time for the galette is so short, making the whole galette ahead of time isn’t really a good idea. You can make the dough a couple of days ahead and store it in the refrigerator, wrapped in airtight packaging.
Tomato Galette Tips
Do the tomatoes really have to be heirloom varieties?
No, of course not. Using heirloom tomatoes can make the galette look more interesting, and the window formed by the edges of the crust when folded and pleated allows you to show off those neat-looking varieties. But you can use regular cherry tomatoes, too, and other tomato varieties also work in this galette.
What can you serve with this Tomato Galette?
A salad would be a great accompaniment to this galette. Try this cucumber and red onion salad for something simple and cool; if you want more protein with your meal, try this grilled chicken with arugula salad. Check out these other side salad recipes for more choices.
How do you stop the bottom of the crust from becoming soggy?
Juices from the tomatoes and grease from the melting cheese can make the crust underneath turn soggy. One strategy is to brush a little egg white on the dough before adding the filling. Another is salting the tomatoes, which the recipe already calls for in a very basic form. If you want to be really careful about stopping tomato juice from affecting the crust, let the tomatoes and salt sit for 30 minutes instead of 15, and pat the tomatoes dry before adding them to the galette. That salt helps draw out moisture, which will drain out through the colander.
