Apple Galette Recipe

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This apple galette recipe couldn't be simpler - including making the crust - but looks and tastes like you've spent hours over it. I love an apple galette because, as someone who has never owned a proper pie dish, it allows me to legitimately freeform! And there's less washing up to do. 😉

A galette is the French term used for a variety of flat round or freeform crusty cakes or tarts with sweet or savoury fillings. An apple galette is sometimes called a rustic apple tart, given its casual chic appearance. And the perfectly imperfect nature of it means that you really can just ' throw it together'. The apple galette recipe below uses store cupboard ingredients that you probably already have it home - all you need are the apples (or other seasonal fruit)!

Whilst any type of fruit can be baked into a galette, apples are a very popular choice, especially in autumn, when they are literally dropping from the trees faster than you can collect them up. Baking is a great way to use fruits that are on the cusp of going off - no wastage here!

You'll need baking apples for this apple galette recipe, as apples not meant for baking tend to be juicier and will therefore give off more moisture when baked. I have used Braeburn apples below, as I love the pretty red skins, but other popular varieties to use include, Cox, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious.

This apple galette recipe calls for a rustic shortcrust pastry, which is so easy to make and impossible to mess up, as the less you handle it, the better. It requires only flour, butter, ice water and time to chill. A food processor is a nice convenience but absolutely not necessary, and the result is a deliciously buttery and crumbly crust. In fact, sometimes I prefer to combine by pastry by hand, as it allows you better control over the quality and texture of the dough.

You can make this apple galette recipe in stages, if time is short. The pastry can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge. You may need to let it warm up for 20-30 minutes at room temperature to soften enough to roll out. Once baked, any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 or 4 days. And the beauty of not having to use a pie dish means you can get one large galette, or two smaller ones, out of this recipe!

If you love this apple galette recipe or apple desserts in general, take a look at my Easy French Apple Tart, which uses a puff pastry for the crust, or my Cranberry and Apple Crumble.

Here's what you'll need to make this apple galette recipe:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

For the pastry
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/8 tsp salt
130g cold butter, cut into small cubes
3-5 Tbsp ice water

For the filling and galette
4 medium (~130g each) Braeburn apples
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 Tbsp ground almonds or plain flour
1 Tbsp apricot jam, for glazing (optional)

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Weigh out the butter, cut it into small cubes, and return it to the fridge until needed.
• Prepare a glass of ice water, and have it to hand.
• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment. If you don't have a food processor, use a large bowl to mix by hand.

• Add the butter, give it a good shake to coat all the pieces with flour, and pulse a few times until combined but crumbly.
• If mixing by hand, shake or stir to coat the butter with flour, and use your fingers to rub them together until combined and crumbly, with chunks of butter still remaining.

• Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse or use your fingers to combine. Add just enough water until the mixture resembles wet sand and looks like it will come together.
• Either use your hands to gather the mixture together into a dough, or pour the mixture onto a floured surface, and shape into a dough with your hands.

• On a floured surface, shape the dough into a flat disc, and minimise kneading.
• Wrap tightly in cling film, and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (or longer, if making in advance) whilst you prepare the rest of the items for the galette.

• When you're ready to bake the galette, preheat the oven to 190C (375F) / 170C.
• Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, and beat the egg yolk in a separate bowl, adding a splash of water if it is very thick.
• Prepare a sheet of baking parchment the size of your baking sheet, and set it aside.
• Wash, quarter and core the apples, and slice them very thinly. You can peel the apples first, if you like, but I prefer to leave on the pretty red skins.

• Place the prepared parchment onto a flat work surface, and sprinkle with some flour.
• Put the dough in the centre of the parchment, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the disc into a large circle, approximately 40cm (16in) in diameter.
• If your apples have a bit of juice in them, you can sprinkle a layer of ground almonds or plain flour to help absorb some of the moisture - this step is optional.
• If you have made the dough in advance, you may need to leave it for 20 minutes or so to become soft enough to roll.
• Fan out the apple slices, and arrange them on the pastry, leaving a 5cm (2in) margin on all sides.

• Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the apples.
• Fold up the edges of the pastry, overlapping at the joins to maintain a rough circular shape.
• Brush the egg yolk over the upturned pastry, and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned.

• Remove the galette from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• If you like, dilute 1 Tbsp of apricot jam with 1-2 tsp of water until it thins, warm for a few seconds in the microwave, and brush it over the apples to give them a nice glossy shine.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or on its own!

Apple Galette Recipe

By Wendy | Serves 4

Here's a simple apple galette recipe that's easy to make but delivers on taste - ideal for those times you need a dessert quickly.

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus chill time
Cook time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 slices
Course: Dessert, Pudding, Snack
Cuisine: Modern European
Tags: Rustic Apple Tart, Apple Dessert

Ingredients

For the pastry
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1/8 tsp salt
130g cold butter, cut into small cubes
3-5 Tbsp ice water

For the filling and galette
4 medium (~130g each) Braeburn apples
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 Tbsp ground almonds or plain flour
1 Tbsp apricot jam, for glazing (optional)

Method

1. Weigh out the butter, cut it into small cubes, and return it to the fridge until needed.
2. Prepare a glass of ice water, and have it to hand.
3. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment. If you don't have a food processor, use a large bowl to mix by hand.
4. Add the butter, give it a good shake to coat all the pieces with flour, and pulse a few times until combined but crumbly.
5. If mixing by hand, shake or stir to coat the butter with flour, and use your fingers to rub them together until combined and crumbly, with chunks of butter still remaining.
6. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse or use your fingers to combine. Add just enough water until the mixture resembles wet sand and looks like it will come together.
7. Either use your hands to gather the mixture together into a dough, or pour the mixture onto a floured surface, and shape into a dough with your hands.
8. On a floured surface, shape the dough into a flat disc, and minimise kneading.
9. Wrap tightly in cling film, and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (or longer, if making in advance) whilst you prepare the rest of the items for the galette.
10. When you're ready to bake the galette, preheat the oven to 190C (375F) / 170C.
11. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, and beat the egg yolk in a separate bowl, adding a splash of water if it is very thick.
12. Prepare a sheet of baking parchment the size of your baking sheet, and set it aside.
13. Wash, quarter and core the apples, and slice them very thinly. You can peel the apples first, if you like, but I prefer to leave on the pretty red skins.
14. Place the prepared parchment onto a flat work surface, and sprinkle with some flour.
15. Put the dough in the centre of the parchment, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the disc into a large circle, approximately 40cm (16in) in diameter.
16. If your apples have a bit of juice in them, you can sprinkle a layer of ground almonds or plain flour to help absorb some of the moisture - this step is optional.
17. If you have made the dough in advance, you may need to leave it for 20 minutes or so to become soft enough to roll.
18. Fan out the apple slices, and arrange them on the pastry, leaving a 5cm (2in) margin on all sides.
19. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over the apples.
20. Fold up the edges of the pastry, overlapping at the joins to maintain a rough circular shape.
21. Brush the egg yolk over the upturned pastry, and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned.
22. Remove the galette from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
23. If you like, dilute 1 Tbsp of apricot jam with 1-2 tsp of water until it thins, warm for a few seconds in the microwave, and brush it over the apples to give them a nice glossy shine.
24. Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or on its own!

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