Canto 6 Baking Class: Sweet & Savory Galettes
Last week I joined some dietitians at Canto 6 bakery in Jamaica Plain for a baking class where we were to learn how to make sweet and savory galettes. I went in not even knowing what a galette is. A galette is essentially a free form pie that doesn’t require any special equipment to make, just a few bowls and a cookie sheet.
Our instructors Rebecca and Alexandra at Canto 6 were fantastic – so casual and informative. They stressed how simple it is to make galettes, and how you can fill them with just about any combination of ingredients. You can’t go wrong!
We spent the evening making a sweet galette and a savory galette. In the sweet galette we used fresh blueberries and peaches. In the savory galette, butternut squash, red onion, apples and sage (an ideal combo of ingredients for fall!). We all got to roll, fill, and pinch our dough to make 
individual galettes. While we waited for them to bake, we snacked on some pre-made galettes. Holy cow, so good! I brought my own sweet and savory galettes home and Funk enjoyed the sweet one for dessert and absolutely loved it. And I love the fact that I already have dinner and dessert ready for this evening: savory galette to start followed by a sweet galette for dessert.
Here are the recipes for galettes at Canto 6:
Pate Briee (basic pie dough or short crust)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold cubed unsalted butter
¼ to ½ cup ice cold water
Technique:
Step 1: Mise en place. This is a fancy term that simply means get everything you need ready to go. It is especially important for Pate brisee because you want to work quickly so all your ingredients stay cold.
Step 2: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cubed butter and pulse briefly. Do not overmix!!! Over-mixing the dough will yield a tough crust. You want several large pieces of butter still visible in the flour mixture. This step can also be done by hand in a large bowl. Simply use two knives or your fingers to break the butter into the flour.
Step 3: Take the mixture out of the food processor and place it in a large bowl. Add the water slowly 2 tablespoons at a time and mix with your hands until the dough comes together.
Step 4: Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces, shape them into patties, wrap tightly in saran wrap, 
and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 5: Roll the dough! Place a chilled patty on a flat lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough about 1/8 inch thick. Rotate the dough as you roll to achieve a rough circle. Once rolled out, set the dough aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the galettes.
Crumb topping:
This is a versatile recipe for a basic sweet crumb topping you can use to top any fruit galette, or as a topping for summer fruit crisps. Makes enough for 3-4 galettes.
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup (2 sticks) cold cubed unsalted butter
Technique:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to break the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly.
Peach berry filling:
2 cups berries
4 cups sliced fresh peaches
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
Technique: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently.
Butternut squash, apple, sage and blue cheese filling:
2/5 peeled and thinly sliced butternut squash
1 cup peeled and roughly chopped apples
1 small onion peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
Crumbled blue cheese for topping
Technique: combine squash, onion, olive oil, and salt and pepper on a cookie sheet or oven safe dish and toss lightly. Roast at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes until veggies are just tender. When cool, toss with apples and sage and set aside.
Place a rolled out piece of pate brisse on a flat baking pan lined with parchment paper. Generously mound the fruit or vegetable filling in the center of the dough. Fold the dough around the filling pinching it on top of itself. Once the galette is shaped, top the fruit galettes generously with crumb topping. Top the vegetable galettes with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F (325 degrees F if you have a convection oven) for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Other ideas and inspiration:
Sweet:
Pear, slivered almond, honey
Classic apple
Plum nectarine
Strawberry rhubarb
Savory:
Potato, radicchio, tallegio
Zucchini, leek, ricotta
Fennel, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese
Asparagus, roasted garlic, feta
