Apple Galette

Apple Galette

Description

A galette is a free-form, single-crust “flat pie” — no pie pan, no blind baking, all rustic charm. Folding the crust up and over the filling gives it more crunchy edges than a regular pie.

• Apple Cranberry is based on the recipe by ChefSteps: apples, cranberries, citrus zest, and warm spices — a great winter-fruit dessert for the Thanksgiving table. Swap in pears or quince for the apples, or swap the cranberries for raisins, dates, or another berry.
• Apple Frangipane is a house version built from two other recipes on this site: the Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust (pâte brisée) and a small, apple-friendly batch of Classic Frangipane. Thin apple slices are fanned over the almond cream, with an optional layer of apple butter in between.

Yield: One 9-inch galette, 6–8 servings · Total time: 3½ hours (1½ hours active), plus making the dough

Vegetarian Dairy Gluten Eggs Tree nuts (frangipane)

Ingredients

Apple Cranberry

Item	Amount	Notes
pie dough, very cold & rested	400g	ChefSteps’ “Perfect Pie Dough,” made with its optional sugar
apples	540g (about x3)	or pears / quince
cranberries	60g	or raisins, dates, another berry
brown sugar	85g
all-purpose flour	15g
kosher salt	1g
malic acid	0.5g
ground cinnamon	1.2g
ground allspice	0.4g
lemon zest	1.5g
orange zest	1.5g
vanilla bean, scraped	x1
unsalted butter	30g
egg wash or evaporated milk wash	as needed	see tip below
coarse sugar (optional)	as needed	for extra crunch

Apple Frangipane

Crust

Item	Amount	Notes
pâte brisée, cold & rested	400g	from 1 batch (~510g); save the rest for trim

Frangipane

A ¼ batch of Classic Frangipane, with a little less sugar and half the almond extract so the apples lead.

Item	Amount
unsalted butter, softened	55g
granulated sugar	50g
egg	50g (x1 large)
almond flour	55g
all-purpose flour	8g
vanilla extract	3g (½ tsp)
almond extract	1g (¼ tsp)
kosher salt	1.5g

Apples

Item	Amount	Notes
firm apples	450g (about x2–3)	Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith; a mix is nice
granulated sugar	25g
lemon juice	15g (1 tbsp)
ground cinnamon	1g
kosher salt	pinch

Apple Butter & Finishing

Item	Amount	Notes
apple butter (optional)	60g	a thick one; plus 20g more for the glaze
unsalted butter, melted	20g	for the apples
egg wash	as needed	see tip below
turbinado sugar	15g	for the crust

Tools

Items
mixing bowls
peeler
microplane
melon baller or Parisian scoop
rolling pin
½ sheet pan
parchment paper
pastry brush
oven
hand mixer or stand mixer (frangipane)
offset spatula (frangipane)
small saucepan (frangipane, optional apple butter glaze)

Recipe

Apple Cranberry

1. Gather everything: You’ll need the pie dough very cold and rested — ideally made the day before, or pulled from a stash in the freezer.

2. Prep the fruit: Use a melon baller to remove the stem, bottom, and core of each apple. Peel and slice into slender half-moons, about ⅛ inch thick. Place in a mixing bowl with the cranberries and zest the lemon and orange over the mix.

3. Season the filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, flour, malic acid, spices, and scraped vanilla seeds, rubbing the seeds in until dispersed. Toss onto the fruit gently until evenly coated. Try to keep the apple slices intact — it makes assembly easier.

4. Roll out the dough: Have the filling nearby and a parchment-lined sheet pan ready — once the dough is rolled, assemble right away to keep it cold (if it warms up, chill it on the sheet pan before assembling). Lightly flour your table and press the dough round into a larger circle with your fingertips. Roll it out, rotating 45° between passes, until you have a solid 13-inch circle. Trim the edge with a knife or pizza roller for a cleaner bake (optional, cosmetic only).

5. Assemble: Place the dough on the sheet pan and brush wash around the rim. Lay the apples in an even layer, forming a roughly 10-inch circle in the center and leaving a rim to fold over. Fold the edges over the filling one small section at a time, creating flaps as you go around, pressing each down gently. Dot the top of the filling with pats of the 30g of butter. Brush the folded edges with wash, including between the flaps, to help hold them in place. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like.

6. Chill: Chill for at least 1 hour before baking — this lets the dough relax so it doesn’t pull and shrink in the oven.

7. Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake on the center rack until the edges and bottom are deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 60 minutes. A convection fan speeds browning; without one, it may take a little longer.

8. Cool: Let the galette cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing.

Note

Why flour in the filling: It binds the juice the fruit releases during baking. Pro bakeries use a modified food starch since it reheats better than cornstarch, but flour works fine here.

Apple Frangipane

Caution

Work in progress: This version is developed from the recipes above but hasn’t been baked yet. Adjust the amounts, temperature, and timing after the first bake.

1. Make the dough ahead: Make a batch of pâte brisée through its step 5 (shaped into a disk and refrigerated for at least 4 hours), ideally the day before. Weigh out 400g for the galette.

2. Make the frangipane: Cream the 55g of butter and 50g of sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and almond flour in alternating additions, letting each fully incorporate. Mix in the 8g of flour, then the vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Leave it at soft room temperature so it spreads easily.

3. Prep the apples: Core the apples (a melon baller works well) and peel them — or leave the skins on for color. Slice into ⅛-inch half-moons. Toss gently with the 25g of sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then pour off the liquid that collects — this keeps the frangipane from going soggy.

4. Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the 400g of dough into a 13-inch circle, about 3mm thick, rotating 45° between passes. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.

5. Spread the frangipane: Spread the frangipane in an even layer in a 9-inch circle in the center, leaving a 2-inch border of bare dough.

6. Add the apple butter (optional): Spread the 60g of apple butter thinly over the frangipane with an offset spatula. Keep it a thin layer — too much makes the center wet and heavy.

7. Arrange the apples: Shingle the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles over the frangipane, starting at the outer edge and working toward the center.

8. Fold and finish: Fold the dough border up and over the edge of the filling one section at a time, pleating as you go and pressing each flap down gently. Brush the apples with the 20g of melted butter. Brush the crust with egg wash, including between the flaps, and sprinkle the crust with the turbinado sugar.

9. Chill: Chill for at least 1 hour so the dough relaxes and doesn’t shrink in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the lower-middle position.

10. Bake: Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown (check the bottom), the frangipane is puffed and set between the apples, and the apple edges are lightly browned. Tent with foil if the apples darken too fast.

11. Glaze (optional): Warm 20g of apple butter with a splash of water in a small saucepan until loose, then brush it over the hot apples for shine.

12. Cool: Let the galette cool for at least 45 minutes so the frangipane sets before slicing.

Note

Why this frangipane: ChefSteps’ classic frangipane is almond-forward, which works for Galette des Rois but can drown out apples. This ¼ batch cuts the sugar about 10% (the apples and apple butter add sweetness) and uses half the almond extract, so it tastes nutty without the almond extract taking over. American-style frangipane (no pastry cream) is also sturdier and better at soaking up the apple juices. The recipe makes about 225g — enough for a thin, even layer.

Tip

Egg wash: Whisk 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and a splash of water (about 25ml), then strain for a smooth, lump-free wash. Keeps up to 2 days refrigerated. If avoiding eggs, evaporated milk or plain milk works well too — not quite as shiny, but it holds the flaps. A water-only wash is not recommended.

Nutrition

Apple Cranberry

Nutrition Facts 8 servings · ⅛ galette each

Calories 340

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 25%

Saturated Fat 12g 61%

Cholesterol 59mg 20%

Sodium 170mg 7%

Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%

Dietary Fiber 1.8g 7%

Total Sugars 18g

Includes 10g Added Sugars 21%

Protein 4g

Vitamin D 0.4mcg 2% Calcium 24mg 2% Iron 1.3mg 7% Potassium 111mg 2%

* % Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet · Estimated values

Apple Frangipane

Nutrition Facts 8 servings · ⅛ galette each

Calories 430

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 28g 36%

Saturated Fat 16g 78%

Cholesterol 93mg 31%

Sodium 230mg 10%

Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Total Sugars 17g

Includes 11g Added Sugars 23%

Protein 6g

Vitamin D 0.6mcg 3% Calcium 37mg 3% Iron 1.6mg 9% Potassium 142mg 3%

* % Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet · Estimated values

Note

Estimated nutrition: Calculated from the ingredients using USDA FoodData Central values, split into 8 slices, with an egg wash. Both crusts are estimated from the pâte brisée, since ChefSteps’ Perfect Pie Dough isn’t on this site. The Apple Frangipane numbers leave out the optional apple butter; the 80g layer and glaze add about 20 calories and 4g of sugar per slice.