I had been wanting to try to make a galette for a while ever since I saw them at the farmers market, and finally bit the bullet when I went to my local fruit store and rhubarb was on sale. I adore rhubarb. Not everyone does as it’s a tart fruit but if you get the sugar to rhubarb ratio just right, it’s a real pleasure to eat. I found this recipe and got busy making this galette on a Sunday afternoon. The original recipe also calls for raspberries but since they are not in season here at the moment, I increased the amount of rhubarb. The best thing is they are very simple to construct, yet are so impressive to serve up as a fresh dessert, with a dollop of cream. A few tips on making galettes: you want the pastry to be tender and slightly flaky and it will really benefit from cold pockets of butter steaming during baking, so pieces of butter the size of a pea or sugar cube are ideal. The water needs to be ice-cold; I chilled mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes before using. Try not to overwork the dough, you want the pieces of butter to remain intact. To prevent sogginess at the bottom of the galette, first bake for 20 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then move to the middle rack for the remainder of the cooking time. Also, work quickly once you add the fruit to stop the pastry getting too wet. You can either fold the edges over the fruit or pleat them, pinching the pastry with your fingertips. Remember, galettes get their charm from their rustic look so it doesn’t need to look perfect. This recipe makes one 12 inch galette.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
2 & 1/4 cups (10 oz) all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
175 grams (6 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup ice cold water
For the filling:
4 cups rhubarb
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
melted butter for brushing
sugar for sprinkling
Method:
1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar & salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and shake bowl to distribute evenly, and use your hand briefly to mix in the driest patches. Press the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 14 inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes while preparing the filling.
3. Make the filling: Trim the ends of the rhubarb and cut into 1 inch long pieces. If the pieces are more than 1 inch thick, cut them in half lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with the flour and sugar and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit until it’s just pliable, about 5 to 10 minutes. Gently spread the fruit onto the dough, leaving a 2 inch margin around the edge. Carefully fold the edge of the dough over the fruit, pleating it as you go. Brush the edges of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, then transfer to the middle rack for another 25 minutes or until the fruit is soft and bubbling. Carefully transfer galette onto a wire rack to cool (without the parchment paper). This will also help to insure the bottom dries out and doesn’t get soggy. Serve with fresh whipped cream.
Jessie would happily eat the whole thing if given the chance!
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