Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Herb Pastry
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 170 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 5 g salt
- 2 g dried thyme
- 60 ml ice water
- 5 ml apple cider vinegar
Whipped Feta Base
- 150 g feta cheese
- 50 g cream cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 g lemon zest
- 1 g black pepper
Topping & Assembly
- 400 g heirloom tomatoes, assorted colours
- 3 g salt
- 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
- 15 ml milk
- 20 ml honey
- 5 g fresh basil, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine flour, salt, and dried thyme in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Mix the apple cider vinegar with the ice water. Drizzle over the flour mixture gradually, tossing with a fork until the dough just starts to clump together. Do not overwork.
Gather the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or eco-wrap, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to relax the gluten and chill the butter.
While dough chills, slice the tomatoes into 5mm rounds. Lay them on paper towels and sprinkle with 3g salt. Let them sit for 20 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then pat dry with more paper towels.
In a small bowl, mash the feta, cream cheese, minced garlic, lemon zest, and black pepper together until creamy and spreadable.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Roll out the chilled dough on a sheet of parchment paper into a rough circle about 30cm (12 inches) in diameter and 3-4mm thick.
Spread the whipped feta mixture over the dough, leaving a 4cm (1.5 inch) border around the edge. Arrange the dried tomato slices over the cheese in an overlapping pattern.
Fold the edges of the dough over the tomatoes, pleating as you go to create a rustic crust. Scatter the sliced chilli over the tomatoes. Brush the exposed pastry border with milk.
Transfer the galette (still on the parchment) to a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the tomatoes are roasted.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle with honey and garnish with fresh torn basil before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- The vinegar in the pastry helps inhibit gluten formation, resulting in a more tender, flaky crust.
- Do not skip the tomato salting step. Galettes are free-form and leak easily; removing water from the vegetables is the secret to a crisp base.
- For a 'Hot Honey' shortcut, warm the honey with a pinch of dried chilli flakes in the microwave for 10 seconds before drizzling.
- If you have a pizza stone, place the baking sheet on top of the preheated stone to ensure an extra crisp bottom.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Crust will lose crispness over time. Re-crisp in oven.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked assembled galette. Bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10-15 minutes. Do not microwave.
