Rustic Apple Galette

There’s something really comforting about apple desserts this time of year. Apples are in season and this is a great recipe for honeycrisp apples. I love pies, but galettes are easier to assemble, and are just so pretty to look at. The shape is not meant to be perfect, making it rustic yet sophisticated. The fruit can be arranged in any way you prefer, and the galette allows the fruit to be more visible compared to a traditional pie. This recipe makes enough dough for one galette, unlike typical pie dough recipes, which make 2 pie crusts. The texture of the dough is flaky, buttery, and just melts in your mouth. This is a really indulgent dessert but definitely not as heavy as pie. The apples are very flavorful – somewhat caramelized, juicy, and pretty sweet. I didn’t even need to add ice cream to this dessert, but you certainly would not go wrong by adding some salted caramel gelato or just whipped cream. The entire house smelled so good – like cinnamon and butter, while the galette was baking.

I found that making the dough in the food processor was incredibly fast and easy – the hardest part was cleaning it after. Make sure to use very cold butter and water. Don’t over process your dough in the food processor – make sure to pulse it slowly just until it comes together. Folding the dough over a few times helps to create more flaky layers. Once the dough is chilled, use plenty of flour on your surface to keep it from sticking while you roll it out. Try not to rush the process – if the dough is too sticky, you can refrigerate it and roll it out again. Make sure to seal any cracks with your fingers.

You can use the dough recipe to make a galette with any type of fruit. Juicier fruits may need additional cornstarch to keep the crust from getting too soggy. If you want to make a savory galette, don’t add sugar to the dough. I’m excited to make different galette variations this fall using this recipe! If you make this recipe make sure to take a picture and tag @thefriendlyepicurean on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or Pin this recipe on Pinterest.

Rustic Apple Galette

Servings: 6 to 8
Time: 3.5 hours
Difficulty: medium
Print

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold, cubed
1/4 cup very cold water
4 medium Honeycrisp apples
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 tablespoon half and half
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Directions

To make the crust, add flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse to mix. Next add butter in two batches and continue to pulse. Slowly add cold water and pulse until dough starts to form a ball. Remove dough from food processor and roll out. Fold dough 3-4 times to incorporate layers, then shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. To make the apple filling, peel and cut apples into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Mix the apples, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out refrigerated dough evenly on a floured surface to about a 12 inches wide in diameter. Next, place dough on parchment lined baking sheet. Arrange the apple slices on the pie dough starting in the center and moving outward. Leave an edge of about 2 to 3 inches. Fold edge over apples. Pinch together any gaps. For the egg wash, whisk together egg and half and half. Brush egg wash on folded over edges of the crust and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until crust turns light brown and the butter in the apple mixture starts to bubble. Serve after galette is cooled for 20 minutes and consume within 48 hours.