Apple Galette
Jacob Dean is a food and travel writer and psychologist based in New York.
This Apple Galette recipe was my chance to develop a recipe that uses the best fruit this season has to offer and test out the Shun Premier Grey Nakiri knife.
With the ushering in of the fall and the burgeoning desire for warmth and comfort, so also comes apple season. In my household, that’s something of a big deal.
While I’m not typically a dessert person, I find it impossible to resist any kind of fruit-topped pastry. And I have a deep and abiding love of baked apples. Also, my wife who loves to bake, graciously indulges my constant inquiries of, “how about something with apples?”
Nakiri knives are traditionally used to prep vegetables. But their ability to evenly slice fruit is unmatched. And apples, with their crisp texture and sturdy structure, are the perfect vehicle to highlight what the Premier Nakiri is capable of achieving.
The key with this apple galette recipe is to slice the apples into thin, even slices. It is a feat the Nakiri makes delightfully easy. Having thin slices makes it easier to shingle them onto your galette. Tight, even shingling creates a galette with both a beautiful appearance and a nice texture. While the top of the apples takes on a slightly wrinkled appearance, their underside is soft and tender. This means that every bite has contrasting texture. This recipe recommends layering the apples in a design of your choice. However, I recommend arranging them into circles, starting with the outer edge first and working your way in. For maximum visual appeal, reverse the direction the circles go in—the alternating direction is more arresting to look at.
Even better, you don’t have to peel the apples before you begin slicing them. In fact, this recipe actually performs better if you don’t peel the apples, and the slender, crimson-bordered slices create a beautiful appearance when you shingle them. Lastly, sprinkling the sugar and salt mixture underneath the apples grants all the flavor you want, while keeping the surface unmottled and pristine. A light brush of butter and sprinkle of sugar add a golden sheen. The end result is an apple galette recipe that’s easy to make, takes full advantage of the Shun Premier Nakiri’s slicing ability, and is remarkably low in sugar.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 113 grams (4 ounces) unsalted butter
- 132 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) sugar
- 4 ml (3/4 teaspoon) salt
- 44-59 ml (3-4 tablespoons) ice cold water, or as needed
For the filling:
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples, washed, unpeeled
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) sugar
- 7.5 ml (1/2 tablespoon) kosher salt
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- .5 ml (1/8 teaspoon) freshly ground nutmeg
- .5 ml (1/8 teaspoon) ground ginger
For assembling and baking:
- 1 large egg, beaten well
- 5 ml (1 tablespoon) butter, melted
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) sugar
Preparation
- For the dough: Cut butter into 1.3 cm (1/2-inch) cubes and refrigerate it (or if it is soft, put it in the freezer). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Toss butter cubes with the flour mixture; using your hands, coat each cube with flour. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Begin adding the ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough begins to stick together. It will feel thick and moist, but should not be wet. Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three hours.
2. For the apple filing: Put the lemon juice in a large mixing bowl, and set aside. Stand each apple up on a cutting board so that the stem faces the ceiling. Using a Shun Premier Nakiri, beginning from the right side of the apple moving inward until you hit the core, slice into .3 cm (1/8th-inch) thick slices. Cut the slices in half, add to the bowl, and toss to coat with juice.
3. Rotate the apple 180° and perform the same slicing on the opposite side of the apple. Cut those slices in half and add to the bowl. Cut off the two remaining sections of apple, leaving a square-shaped core. Discard the core, take the two remaining sections of apple, and place them flat on a cutting board with the skin-side facing the ceiling. Slice into .3 cm (1/8th-inch) thick slices add to the bowl, and coat with evenly with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix well, and set aside.
4. For assumbling and baking: Preheat the oven to 177°C (350°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove pie dough from refrigerator and rest on counter for ten minutes before rolling out. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough until it is at least 13 inches in diameter. Trim the dough to form a 33 cm (13-inch) diameter circle and transfer to the parchment-covered baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly across the dough. Using a fork, mark 4 cm (1.5 inches) into the pie dough to ensure sufficient pie dough is left on the edge to wrap over the apples. In a pattern of your choosing, overlap the thinly sliced apples on the pie dough. For best results, tightly overlap the apple slices (the thinness of the apples allows for you to easily design your own pattern). Cut slits into the sides of the pie dough every 8 cm (3 inches) to create flaps. First fold over every other flap, then fold up the remaining flaps. This ensures a nice round, galette with an attractive border. With moistened fingers, seal the outer edges where the flaps meet.
6. Using a pastry brush, paint the beaten egg over the folded-over pie dough. With a clean brush, paint the melted butter over the apples, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 60 minutes. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
*A rimmed baking sheet for the galette will protect your oven in the likely event that the galette leaks juices during baking.
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Jacob Dean
Jacob Dean an award-winning food and travel writer, editor, and psychologist based in New York. He is the Updates Editor at Serious Eats, and has also been a freelance columnist for The Michelin Guide; an Editor-At-Large for The Cook’s Cook; and a recipe cross-tester for Serious Eats and The New York Times. Jacob’s first article about food appeared in the New York Times when he was 18. He began writing regularly while earning his doctorate in clinical psychology, and after graduating became a full time journalist.
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Next dessert I will make.