How to Make a Galette

Veteran pastry chef Mary O’Rourke of The Waffle Window in Portland, Oregon shows us how to make a rustic tart, also known as a galette with fresh pears and figs.

Pear and Fig Galette recipe

Recipe courtesy of Mary O’Rourke
Serving Size: 6 -Preparation Time :2:00

Ingredients For Galette Crust

• 1 cup flour, all-purpose
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter — cut in 1/2 inch cube
• 3 tablespoons ice water

For Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds firm ripe pears, such as Bartlett or Bosc
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 5 small fresh figs, such as black mission variety
• 1 tablespoon soft butter
• 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar

For Finishing:

• 2 teaspoons turbinado or white sugar
• Water for brushing crust

Instructions For the Crust:

1. Sift the 1 cup flour with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the 1/4 teaspoon of sugar.

Place in small bowl with the cubes of butter. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives or just your hands, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it is the consistency of coarse meal with pea size pieces of butter.

1. Sprinkle on the ice water and mix in until dough just comes together. If it is too dry, add a little more ice water.
2. Gather dough into a ball and pat into a disk shape about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight.

Instructions For the Filling:

1. While the dough is chilling, mix together the 4 tablespoons of sugar with the flour and the pepper.
2. Peel the pears and core them. Toss with the lemon juice in a small bowl.
3. Stem the figs and cut them into halves.
4. Top the figs with the tablespoon of softened butter and the tablespoon of turbinado sugar. (You could also use plain white sugar or brown sugar.)
5. Set aside and continue with the construction of the galette.

Instructions For Making The Galette:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. Remove dough from plastic and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll into a round about 14 inches in diameter.
3. Transfer the dough to a parchment covered metal cookie pan, or buttered pizza pan. Use some kind of metal pan with sides, as the galette crust may break during baking and some of the fruit juices might run. (Do not fret if this happens–this is a simple, rustic dessert.)
4. Once the crust is on the baking sheet, mark off an 8-inch circle in the center of the dough.
5. Sprinkle about half of the pepper/sugar/flour mix evenly over the marked off center circle. Reserve the rest to sprinkle over the pears.
6. Slice the pears into 1/4 thick slices and arrange in a circle pattern on the crust, letting the ends of the pears just touch the outer edge of your marked circle.
7. Now sprinkle the rest of the pepper/sugar over the pears.
8. Lay the buttered and sugared figs in the center of the pears.
9. Fold the outside edge of crust over the pears, leaving the center fruit exposed and ruffling and pinching the crust to secure.
10. Brush the crust with the water and sprinkle evenly with the remaining turbinado sugar.
11. Place the tart in the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is cooked and bubbling with thick juices.
12. Loosen by sliding a metal spatula underneath the galette before it is cool.
13. Serve warm or at room temperature.