It’s officially the start of fall. Just last week, the temperature was as high as mid-eighties. This week, the temperature has dropped to the fifties. I had purchased some fresh apples and pears to snack on throughout the week, but this morning, I thought about baking the fruit. I wanted to make a dish that looked impressive but didn’t require too much effort. I decided to use one Fuji apple and one Bartlett pear to make a galette. Galettes are extremely easy to make. You just arrange whatever fruit or vegetable you desire in a single layer on a sheet of pie dough, fold up all the edges, pop the whole package into the oven, and you have an impressive looking and delicious tasting meal in under an hour. Part of the reason why I made a galette was because I had woken up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and was just itching to make some pie dough. I know it’s not normal for most people, but I really did feel like making pie dough in the morning. Before I learned about the 3-2-1 ratio for making pie dough, I always purchased pie dough from the store. Once I learned the ratio, I was able to make my own pie dough recipe at home. I also stopped buying store-bought pie dough. After I made the pie dough, I shaped the dough into two discs, wrapped up the discs in plastic wrap, and popped the discs into the refrigerator to chill while I squeezed in a morning run. I usually like to squeeze in a run on Friday evenings, but I was just too tired yesterday. Instead, I squeezed in a run on Saturday morning. It worked out perfectly since I’m usually impatient about letting dough rest before using it. My runs are usually just over an hour long, so I was able to let the pie dough rest for more than an hour before using it. This morning, I couldn’t wait to finish my run, so I can get home to start making a galette for breakfast.
Pear and Apple Galette
Pie Dough:
· 1½ cups all-purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
· ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
· ¼ cup cold water
Filling:
· One Fuji apple, sliced into thin wedges
· One Bartlett pear, sliced into thin wedges
· Zest of a lemon
· 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus additional ½ teaspoon for sprinkling
Egg Wash:
· 1 large egg
· 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1) To make the pie dough, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Pulse for 2 seconds. Add the unsalted butter. Pulse for 5 seconds. Add in the water. Pulse until the dough comes together, about 8-10 seconds. Pour the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Separate the dough in half. Form into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When you are ready to use the pie dough, remove one of the discs from the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before using.
2) To make the galette, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3) Roll out the pie dough on a well-floured surface. Place the pie dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Arrange the pear and apple slices in a circle around the pie dough, alternating between the pear and apple slices. Leave about an inch width around the edge of the pie dough. Fold the edges of the pie dough towards the center around all sides.
4) To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg and water until combined.
5) Brush the egg wash around the edges of the galette. Add the lemon zest. Sprinkle the galette with sugar.
6) Place the baking sheet with the galette into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional sugar prior to serving.
Takeaways: I had a thought after I made the pie dough. When I used to buy store-bought pie dough, it came in two already rolled out circles. Why not roll out the circles ahead of time so I can skip the 15-minute resting period after chilling the dough? I wish I had thought about this before I started making the galette. I let the dough rest after chilling it because it is often too hard to roll out the dough immediately after taking it out of the refrigerator. Letting the dough rest for 15 minutes softens it just enough to make rolling the dough out a lot easier. If you have extra space in your refrigerator, you can roll out the pie dough into two circles instead of shaping it into two discs. This way, once the pie dough has chilled for at least an hour, you can just pull out one of the circles, skip the resting period and use the dough right away.