This super-easy tomato galette is made from fresh tomatoes laid on a bed of cheesy filling and enrobed with a herbed flakey pastry. This galette is quick, easy, delicious and perfect for the summery tomato season.
Tomato season is short in New Zealand. Which was a bit of culture shock when we first moved here and couldn't buy tomatoes all year round. Well, we could, but out of season tomatoes can be quite pricey, and you know, I do try to buy local as much as possible.
Is there anything better than an in-season tomato that is sweet, juicy and filled with flavour? No. This is why we eating as many tomatoes (and cucumbers) as we can this summer. So we don't miss them as much during the winter.
This particular cherry tomato galette was one of my multiple renditions of this tart we have had over the spring and summer, just another way to enjoy in-season fruit.
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What You Need for this Recipe
Equipment
This recipe doesn't need anything special, a 30 cm round cast iron skillet is what I use to bake this galette, but it can also be made in a roasting dish (I have made it in a 30cm x 18cm stainless steel pan as a rectangular galette, it did stick a bit so I suggest flouring the bottom of the roaster), or even on a cookie sheet. This is a rustic tart - which will suit the equipment you have on hand.
Ingredients
Pastry
- Water - ice cold water
- Butter - cold butter
- Flour - regular plain / standard grade flour
- Herbs
- Salt
Filling
- Tomatoes - I made this particular galette with cherry tomatoes, but have also made it with heirloom tomatoes, as well as regular old tomatoes. Choose whichever tomato you have or want.
- Egg - binds the cheesy mixture together.
- Cheese
- Cottage Cheese - my preferred brand of cottage cheese in New Zealand is Meadow Fresh. This cottage cheese is similar to the chunky Lancewood brand in South Africa. My next favourite brand in the Countdown/Woolworths (Aussie woolworths which is very different from South African Woolworths).
- Herbs - I used dry herbs in my galette, because I always have dried herbs in the pantry, and it feel more accessible in general.
- Salt & Pepper
Refer to the recipe card for full details.
Substitutions/Variations
Tomatoes - cherry, vine, heirloom, regular everyday tomatoes can be used in this galette.
Cottage cheese can be substituted out with ricotta or similar soft cheese.
Flour - I used plain or standard grade flour to make this galette, but have also successfully made it by substituting half the flour with wholewheat flour, and the pastry was just delicious. However, if you use wholewheat flour you will probably need more water, maybe up to double the amount because wholewheat flour generally needs more water to hydrate fully.
Can't be bothered to make the pastry? Simply use your favourite store-bought flakey pastry. The pastry used in this particular recipe amounts to about 500 grams of pastry. If your pieces of store-bought pastry are smaller, you can make multiple galettes to use up all the filling.
No parmesan, no problem. Simply increase your cheddar by the equivalent grams of parmesan
Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.
Making the Tomato Galette
Step 1 - Whisk together the flour, salt, and herbs for the pastry. Cube the cold butter and toss it into the flour. Using your fingers or a pastry knife, rub or cut the butter into the flour until you are left with pea-sized chunks of butter.
Step 2 - Add in the ice-cold water a tablespoon or two at a time and stir until you have a shaggy dough. Take note that some pieces of the flour will still be dry.
Step 3 - Turn the dough onto the kitchen counter, pat it together to form a rough rectangle. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into thirds and fold the outer edges on the middle section. Press down using your hands or a rolling pin until the dough is about 3cm thick. Repeat the process twice more. This laminates the dough. The dough will also become more cohesive during this process. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap (cling film) and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
NOTE - you can make this dough up to 5 days in advance. Keep the dough in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out and make the galette.
Step 4 - In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, parmesan, cheddar, 2 teaspoons of sweet basil (or herb of choice), with a dash of salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes in half if using cherry tomatoes, or to a thickness of about 1 cm, sprinkle with salt and let rest for 15 minutes to draw out the excess water. Place the tomatoes on a paper towel and pat dry until most of the water has been removed.
Step 5 - Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling out on a floured surface to approximately 0.5cm thick, and about 45cm in diameter. While rolling out your dough, turn the dough 90 degrees quite often and add a dusting of more flour to prevent sticking.
Step 6 - Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fans assisted. Place the rolled dough onto a large baking sheet (lined with baking paper to ensure it doesn't stick), or place it into a 30cm cast iron skillet. You can trim the edges of the pastry if you want a more uniform look.
Step 7 - Place the cheese filling in the bottom pastry, and spread it across all the bottom. If using a baking sheet, spread the filling into roughly a 30cm circle. Then top the filling with the tomatoes. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling. Bake the galette for about 45 minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Rotate halfway through if necessary. Allow the galette to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Pro Tips for this Recipe
Fan-forced or fan assisted oven temperature must be decreased by 20°C/25F. Use an oven thermometer to determine the accuracy of your oven dial.
This pastry can be made up to a week before use, simply wrap the completed dough in plastic wrap or cling film and keep it in the fridge. I like to serve the completed galette once it has cooled down a bit from the oven, but it's really great out the fridge as well.
Removing as much moisture from the tomatoes to key to this galette. I once just tossed in tomatoes and had a soupy mess during the bake (which I saved by carefully suctioning out the additional liquid with the help of my favourite kitchen buddy - Dave, my husband and partner in crime).
Galette FAQ
Traditionally any flat, round pastry (or cake-like) bake is a galette. However, this term more commonly refers to a rustic tart or pie made from a singular pie crust, filled with a sweet or savoury filling, with the edges of the pie crust folded over the centre.
Galette is the term used in French cuisine for various types of flat, free-form (usually round) pie or tart that is baked on a baking sheet. Galettes are usually filled with fruits, however can be savoury as well.
For this particular galette, removing as much excess water from the tomatoes before placing them on top of the filling is key for reducing the soggy factor. To remove excess moisture, sprinkle salt over the tomatoes and place on paper towels to draw out the excess moisture.
Yes. This pastry can be made up to a week before use, simply wrap the completed dough in plastic wrap or cling film and keep it in the fridge.
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Tomato Galette
Ingredients
Pastry
- 300 grams plain flour/standard grade flour/all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon sweet basil
- 165 grams butter
- 5-10 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 250 grams cottage chees
- 1 egg
- 50 grams grated parmesan
- 100 grams grated cheddar
- 2 teaspoon sweet basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 400 grams cherry tomatoes 4 to 5 medium tomatoes
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and herbs for the pastry. Cube the cold butter and toss it into the flour. Using your fingers or a pastry knife, rub or cut the butter into the flour until you are left with pea-sized chunks of butter.
- Add in the ice-cold water a tablespoon or two at a time and stir until you have a shaggy dough. Take note that some pieces of the flour will still be dry.
- Turn the dough onto the kitchen counter, pat it together to form a rough rectangle. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into thirds and fold the outer edges on the middle section. Press down using your hands or a rolling pin until the dough is about 3cm thick. Repeat the process twice more. This laminates the dough. The dough will also become more cohesive during this process. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap (cling film) and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, parmesan, cheddar, 2 teaspoons of sweet basil (or herb of choice), with a dash of salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes in half if using cherry tomatoes, or to a thickness of about 1 cm, sprinkle with salt and let rest for 15 minutes to draw out the excess water. Place the tomatoes on a paper towel and pat dry until most of the water has been removed.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling out on a floured surface to approximately 0.5cm thick, and about 45cm in diameter. While rolling out your dough, turn the dough 90 degrees quite often and add a dusting of more flour to prevent sticking.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fans assisted. Place the rolled dough onto a large baking sheet (lined with baking paper to ensure it doesn't stick), or place it into a 30cm cast iron skillet. You can trim the edges of the pastry if you want a more uniform look.
- Place the cheese filling in the bottom pastry, and spread it across all the bottom. If using a baking sheet, spread the filling into roughly a 30cm circle. Then top the filling with the tomatoes. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling. Bake the galette for about 45 minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Rotate halfway through if necessary. Allow the galette to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly.
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