While I love a good apple pie, there is something about the beauty and simplicity of an apple galette. The buttery, crispy crust paired with a bed of just cooked apples that have been dosed with some brown sugar and cinnamon is a combination that leaves me wanting more. And by more, I mean I ate an entire one of these by myself with no shame or regret.
What apples should I use?
For these, I used Lucy apples. If you've never seen them before, they're naturally red inside! And, they have such a beautiful flavor. There are two kinds, the Lucy Glo and the Lucy Rose. The Glo, I believe, is a bit more tart, but it has a slight berry undertone. I used the Lucy Glo for these because I knew the deep, red of the apple would make such a beautiful galette. (And I was right!). Plus, it's a crisper apple that is just a bit tart.
When I bake with apples, I usually lean towards a crisp, slightly tart option like a Granny Smith. Because I add so much sugar to the apples before putting them on the pie dough, I don't want an apple that is super sweet. I want something that will balance the sugar. If you don't care about that, go for any crisp apple. A softer apple will "dissolve" and bake away into mush in the oven.
Do I really have to make the crust by hand?
Nope! I just hate washing dishes, and by the time it takes me to pull out the food processor and get it set up, I already have this dough made in a large bowl. But, you do you! Add your butter to your dry goods and pulse until the butter is in smaller clumps. It should have an almost sandlike consistency. Then, add in your egg, pulse until fully incorporated. Then, slowly add in your ice water at about 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms.
Either way, make sure your butter and egg are both cold!
Wait, an egg? In pie crust?????
YUP! It's a trick I learned from baking gluten free pie crust. The egg helps create a slightly sturdier dough, which is exactly what you want in a galette. Soft and tender are great, but I want to be able to pick up and hold my galette in my hand without fear of it falling apart. (I know this is not technically how you are supposed to eat them, but here I am, doing it anyway.) Plus, it makes it easier to roll out and to handle while putting it together.
Apple Galette
Ingredients
Galette Dough
- 1 large egg (plus one for an egg wash)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup ice water
Apple Filling
- 4 large apples peeled and sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
Galette Dough
- In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dough until it is in small, pea size pieces.
- Mix in the beaten egg and ¼ cup of ice water. Continue to stir in water until dough still has some flour in bottom of the bowl. Using your hands, knead the dough together until formed into a ball.
- Form a disc of dough and wrap in cellophane. Place in fridge for an hour. Can keep for 2 days in fridge.
Filling and Assembly
- In a large bowl, add apples to remaining ingredients for the filling. Stir until apples are fully coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- On a floured surface, cut your pie disc into 4 equal pieces, rolling out each into a ¼" disc, approximately 6-8 inches in diameter.
- Leaving about ¾" of crust on the edge, arrange your apples in a circle, working your way into the center. Fold the crust over over the outer edge of apples. Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool and top with whip cream. Serve and enjoy!