When fresh tomatoes are at their peak, try this Heirloom Tomato Galette. A homemade pie crust is filled with herby crème fraîche and juicy tomatoes, then baked with a sprinkle of cheese. It's perfect as an appetizer or a light dinner!
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We can all agree that tomatoes on their own are near perfect. But you know what sends them over the edge? Wrapping them up in a flaky pastry, layered between herbed crème fraîche, sprinkled with savory cheese, and baked to perfection in a high heat oven. That's what! Seriously, this Heirloom Tomato Galette is the best little dinner pie to make at the end of the summer when those cools nights are starting to creep their way in, but you still want to savor the last drops of summer.
This recipe is similar to this Puff Pastry Tomato Tart, but feels just a bit more like a meal.
But first, what is a galette?
A galette is simply a round pastry usually consisting of either a sweet or savory filling, wrapped up in a pie dough. The name hails from France, but we all know and love the galette as basically a free-form pie!
Galettes are known for their rustic charm and the ease with which nearly anyone can turn out an instagram-worthy version of one, thanks to the utter simplicity required to make it. It is said, if you are intimidated with making a pie, start with a galette! (Though to be fair, you know you'll never hear me say that. Pie making is easy, and anybody can do it. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)
Let's Talk Tomatoes
Part of the beauty of this galette is the variety of color you'll have using those heirloom tomatoes. However, not using heirlooms isn't a deal-breaker. This galette will still be beautiful with just red tomatoes!
It's best to work with ripe but still firm tomatoes. If they're too soft and watery, that will reflect itself in the galette.
The tomatoes need to be prepped before the bake. After slicing them into ¼" rounds, they need to be salted and drained for about 15-30 minutes. They might not release a ton of liquid at this point, but after they've been salted, they should be patted dry with a paper towel to trap any remaining excess moisture.
This step is essential to make sure your galette doesn't end up a soggy mess.
Cheese and Herbs and other Delicious Things
Crème fraîche is relatively simple to find in the grocery store, and the richness it provides as a counter to the tomatoes is worth it. But if you don't feel like shelling out the high price for it (it's true, it is a bit expensive) you can make your own! All you need is cultured buttermilk and cream. Here is recipe for How to Make Crème Fraîche. Or...you can just spend the $4 and have it already made for you! Either way, don't skip out on it.
The crème fraîche goes underneath the tomatoes and is combined with a good bunch of herbs and cheese. I am leaving it pretty loose in terms of what herbs and cheese I'm calling for here, as this recipe is very flexible depending on what you have on hand or what you like.
Think about what goes well with tomatoes! I've given suggestions in the recipe below of course, but do think of them as suggestions and be open to using what you have in your garden or what is available at your local store. As far as cheese, think about a harder type of cheese such as parmesan, asiago, gruyere, or pecorino Romano. An Italian blend will also work well.
How to Make It
I've got to be honest, I don't see much of a difference between making a pie and making a galette except for the fact that one is baked in a pie dish and one isn't. However, many people say they find making a galette less intimidating. I think the reason why those who are intimidated by making a pie and not by a galette is because a galette is viewed as very rustic and can be a little wonky and wobbly.
Here is a visual overview of this recipe:
Step 1: Slice the tomatoes and place in a colander. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and let them drain for 20 minutes.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg. Pour half of the whisked egg into a large bowl. Then add all the filling ingredients into the larger bowl with the egg and mix to combine. The small portion of egg leftover is for the eggwash later.
Step 3: Roll out the dough to a rough 12-inch circle.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet, cleaning up the edges to make a clean circle if desired. Spread the crème fraîche mixture on top of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the outside edge.
Step 5: Transfer the tomatoes to a paper towel and blot to remove any excess liquid.
Step 6: Arrange the tomatoes on top of the crème fraîche filling.
Step 7: Fold the edges of the dough over the edges of the filling, pleating the pastry
Step 8: To the small bowl with the egg, whisk in a tablespoon of water. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese then bake!
How to Serve It
When fresh from the oven, the creme fraiche mixture will be quite runny. It should cool should cool down for 10-15 minutes before serving. It is great served at room temperature.
For the best taste, enjoy within a few hours of baking. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Reheat in a toaster oven until the pastry is crisp again.
Kelli's Best Tips
- Use ripe, but not overly ripe, heirloom tomatoes. Too much liquid can make the pastry soggy.
- If you don’t want to use crème fraîche, it can easily be swapped out for ricotta, goat cheese, or even whipped feta. But the crème fraîche really makes this dish special, so use it if you can!
- Roll out the dough into a rough 12 to 13-inch circle. Precision isn’t necessary, but I like to measure and trim the edges with a pastry wheel to create a more uniform appearance. For a more rustic galette, you can leave the pastry as is without trimming. For a more uniform pleat, use the same angle for each pleat that you make, and try to bring up the same amount of dough.
- Ensure your dough is chilled and your oven is preheated—these are the best ways to prevent the crust from losing its shape. Additionally, make sure the pastry edges are well-pleated, as they can sometimes try to open up in the oven (though I've never had a spill). If you want to, once the galette is out of the oven, while it's still very hot, use a spatula to adjust any wonky looking pastry.
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Full Recipe
Heirloom Tomato Galette
When fresh tomatoes are at their peak, try this Heirloom Tomato Galette. A homemade pie crust is filled with herby crème fraîche and juicy tomatoes, then baked with a sprinkle of cheese. It's perfect as an appetizer or a light dinner!
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:35
- Total Time: 00:55 plus chilling time
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Savory Pie
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
- 1 (single) 9-inch butter pie dough
- 2-3 medium (about 20 ounces) heirloom tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more for tomatoes
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (4 ounces) crème fraîche
- ¼ cup minced fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, parsley, chives, or dill), plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup (2 ounces) grated hard cheese, (such as Parmesan, Asiago or Gruyère), divided
- 1 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
- All-purpose flour (for work surface)
Instructions
- Make pie dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place an oven rack in the lowest part of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch-thick rounds and place in a colander. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and let them drain for 20 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes to a paper towel and blot to remove any excess liquid. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg.
- Pour half of the whisked egg into a large bowl, then add in the crème fraîche, minced fresh herbs, ½ cup grated cheese, garlic, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and mix. Set aside.
- Liberally flour a work surface, then roll out the dough to a rough 12 to 13-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Spread the crème fraîche mixture on top of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the outside edge. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the crème fraîche filling.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the edges of the filling, pleating the pastry as desired.
- To the small bowl with the egg, whisk in a tablespoon of water. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese.
- If the pastry has warmed up a lot, let the assembled galette chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake until the pastry is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, sprinkle with additional fresh herbs, and serve.
Notes
A classic butter pie crust is great here. Some other good choices would be this Ultra Flaky Pie Crust, Sour Cream Pie Crust, or Cream Cheese Pie Crust, or Gluten-Free Pie Dough if you need it. Most of these recipes make enough for two galettes, or you can save the other pie dough for another project.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half. See this Salt Guide for more information about how salt affects your cooking and baking.
Make sure your dough is well-chilled and your oven is fully preheated—these are key to keeping the crust from losing its shape. Also, take care to pleat the pastry edges securely, as they might try to open up in the oven (though I've never had any filling spill out). Once the galette is out of the oven and still very hot, use a spatula to carefully adjust and press together any edges that may have shifted.
Originally published in 2020, this recipe has been regularly re-tested and slightly updated to ensure it remains as good as it can be!
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Gretchen
Could you use puff pastry instead of pie crust? Thanks!
Kelli Avila
I think that would work great!
John
This was so good!!!