Apple Galette Recipe

A rustic apple galette with flaky, golden-brown crust, sprinkled with sugar, is sliced on parchment paper. The filling showcases layered apple slices. A knife is partially visible at the top right corner.

5 from 1 vote

This Apple Galette is a no-fuss dessert that should be a must-have on your Fall table. All the warm, comforting flavors of apple pie in a rustic, free-form tart.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Chilling time4 30

Servings:

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Chef Molly Pisula

Ingredients

For the crust:

8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
Scant pinch of salt
¼ cup icy cold water

For the filling:

1 pound apples about 2 large
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sparkling sugar optional
Powdered sugar or whipped cream to serve

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chop butter into small cubes.
Put flour into bowl of a food processor, then add the butter cubes and the salt. Pulse about 20 times, until the dough has a sandy texture with very very small chunks of butter (no bigger than pea-sized).
Pour in the water all at once, then turn on the food processor. Blend until dough has come together, and starts to ball up on the sides of the processor (this should only take 10-20 seconds).
Scrape dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a round disk. Wrap plastic wrap around dough and put into the refrigerator to chill. Chill for at least 4 hours (24 hours is ideal).
Peel, core, and thinly slice 1 pound of firm apples (about 2 large), and put in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Then stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Let sit while you roll out the galette dough.
Flour a large cutting board or clean countertop. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and place on the board. Roll out dough in the shape of a circle, until it is about ⅛-inch thick. It will be around 12 inches in diameter. Carefully move dough to a small baking sheet or large cutting board lined with a piece of parchment paper.
Use a slotted spoon to take out the apples and then arrange them on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Including a bit of the syrup that was created as the apples sat in the sugar is fine, but don’t add all of it, as it can make your galette soggy.
Now, moving in a circle, fold up the edges of the galette dough, pinching the together as you fold. Make sure to leave a circle of apples uncovered in the middle.
Move cutting board or baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put a large baking sheet into the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.
When galette has been chilled, make an egg wash by whisking an egg with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Using a pastry brush, brush the galette dough (not the apples) with the egg wash. Sprinkle the dough with sparkling sugar, if desired.
Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, and carefully transfer the galette (on its parchment paper) onto it. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.
Let cool 15 minutes before slicing. (This will help the galette to firm up again, so that you can cut a slice without the filling running off.)

Notes

Storage Tips:

Refrigerate leftover galette wrapped in foil or placed in an airtight container. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, place it back in a 375° oven, or try reheating individual slices in an air fryer. Avoid using the microwave, as the crust will not regain its crisp texture.

Expert Tips:

I learned this technique and dough recipe when recipe testing for Cathy Barrow for her When Pies Fly book, which is wonderful BTW. I can’t improve on her technique so all credit for this excellent crust goes to her. Speaking of technique, the key to the flakiest pie crust ever is to keep those ingredients cold! Ice cold butter and water are essential. Also, don’t overwork that dough. As soon as it begins to come together in the food processor, you can dump it out and pat it into a disk.

If you don’t have a food processor and want to make the dough by hand, you can do that easily with a couple of knives or a pastry cutter. See full instructions in my Strawberry Galette post.

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