Galettes are indeed versatile. Originating from French cuisine, there is a lot of latitude in how they can be prepared, as they can be served either savory or sweet. If you haven't tried a galette before and are trying to understand the dish, envision a cross between a pizza and a pie. The best way I can think to describe it is as a rustic tart. Since galettes can be savory or sweet, the combinations of fillings are endless, and the crust can range from soft and pastry-like to much more crispy.
My plan in constructing the fig galettes was to utilize them in both a sweet and savory rendition. To save time and allow the dishes to be served together as a dinner and a dessert, I wanted to create a dough that would function equally well as a backdrop for both presentations. The result was a crispier, whole wheat crust which provided the perfect canvas for showcasing the mouthful of flavors in each galette.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup blue cornmeal, finely ground
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 10 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut in to 1/2" cubes
- 3 tbsp. sour cream
- 4 tbsp. ice water
- Fig galette filling
Directions:
- Finely grind cornmeal in a spice grinder or food processer. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed and mix for 2-3 minutes, or until large crumbs begin to form. Turn the speed up to medium and beat for an additional 30 seconds, so that the crumbs flake apart and begin to resemble coarse sand.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and ice water. Make sure you remove the ice cubes! With the mixer off, drizzle half of the sour cream and water over the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on to medium-low speed and beat for 15 seconds, until the crumbs become moist. Allow the mixer to continue mixing and gradually add in the rest of the sour cream and water. Mix until the dough forms a large mass and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.
- Divide the dough in to two even disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Place a rack in the center of your oven. Pre-heat the oven to 400 ̊ F. If using a baking stone, sprinkle lightly with cornmeal and place in oven to warm while the oven pre-heats.
- Roll out the chilled dough disks to rounds that are 1/8" thick (approximately 14" diameter). Place the rolled dough on either the heated baking stone or a non-stick baking sheet. Place the fig galette filling in the center and spread evenly across the dough, leaving a 1 1/2" border. **See my Savory and Sweet posts for the filling recipes.** Fold the border over the filling, rotating around the galette so that the foldings overlap. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust becomes lightly brown on edges and the bottom appears crispy when gently lifted.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting with a pizza wheel. Serve warm.
