Apple Galette

How to Make Apple Galette

What is a galette?

This is a French term to describe what’s essentially a free-form pie. An apple galette is a free-form apple pie that is much easier, quicker, and less temperamental than a traditional apple pie. No pie pan, no fluting or crimping, no cooking the filling, no awkwardly cutting that first slice… it’s the perfect impressive treat for entertaining or bakers who are intimidated by pie!

Ingredients for easy apple galette:

• 1 batch of my Best Ever Pie Crust – the most buttery, flaky crust ever. Make sure to check out the pink tip box in this post for all my pie baking tips.
• Apples – any apples that are tart and hold their shape during baking are perfect for a galette. This includes Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Make sure your apples are peeled so you don’t get chewy skins.
• Light brown sugar – this creates more of a caramel butterscotch flavor which complements the apples perfectly! If your apples are super tart, add an extra sprinkle of sugar.
• Lemon juice – just a touch brightens the whole dish so the apple flavor really shines. It also prevents browning as you work with the apple slices.
• Cornstarch – no runny, soupy filling thanks to this ingredient.
• Spices – cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of salt for the perfect cozy flavors.
• Vanilla extract – because why not!
• An egg – for the egg wash to get a golden brown crust.
• Coarse sugar, for sprinkling – feel free to skip this, but it adds a beautiful sparkle to the galette and a delicious crunch.
• Apricot jam or jelly – also optional but adds a picture-perfect sheen.

Tips for rolling out pie dough:

Here are my top 3 tips for rolling out pie dough, but there are lots more tips here.

1. Make sure to keep everything as cold as possible. If your kitchen is warm, fill freezer bags with ice and a little water and set them on your work surface for 10 minutes to chill it before rolling out your pie dough.
2. Flour your work surface, the dough itself, and your rolling pin throughout the process. I recommend investing in a flour shaker and bench scraper. The flour shaker lets you easily add flour wherever sticking might be happening. The bench scraper allows you to easily keep the dough moving as you roll it out, which is essential to prevent sticking.
3. If at any point the butter begins to get melty and sticky, return the dough to the back of fridge or your freezer immediately.

How to make apple galette from scratch:

1. Make the apple filling – toss the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, spices, and vanilla together.
2. Roll out the pie dough – lots of tips for how to roll out pie dough in my Best Ever Pie Crust recipe.
3. Arrange apples on top of rolled out dough – leave any excess juices behind so you don’t end up with a soggy galette.
4. Fold in dough edges to form your crust – carefully grasp 1 edge of dough and fold up 2 inches over apples. Repeat around the entire tart.
5. Brush crust all over with egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
6. Bake & enjoy!

What kind of baking sheet do you need for a galette?

A rimmed half sheet pan, preferably one that’s unlined and light in color, will work best! I like to line mine with parchment so it won’t stick or make a mess. Avoid dark colored pans which may brown the bottom too much.

How long to bake an apple galette:

Bake until crust is deep golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour. If you underbake any fruit galette or pie, the filling won’t set up properly and the crust will become soggy.

How to store apple galette:

Store leftover apple galette in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you’d like, you could even refresh your galette in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving again.

Can you freeze apple galette?

Yes! There are two ways.

1. Freeze after assembling but before egg washing or baking. Freeze on a sheet pan until solid then move to an airtight container. Bake from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the baking time.
2. Freeze after baking. Let cool completely then freeze on a sheet pan until solid. Move to an airtight container. Let thaw to room temperature then refresh in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.