rustic galettes are a nice thing to have up your sleeve if you struggle with making pastry dough look pretty like i do. rustic essentially means anything goes, handmade is the motto, sloppy-crusts-r-us. somehow, the more misshapen, the better these things seem to taste. my recent round of galette dough became home for two pints of unbearably perfect mission figs. floating atop a pool of honeyed pastry cream, corralled in flaky crust, baked until a melted mass of autumnal sweetness, this is enough to spin your brain out into a hundred forms of desire, starting with a scoop of hazelnut gelato.
fig & honey galette
(serves 8)
for the galette dough
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (6 ounces) chilled, unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
for the honeyed pastry cream
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 cup dark amber honey
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
for the galette
1 - 2 pints ripe figs, stemmed and quartered
2 tablespoons granulated or demera sugar
to make the galette dough:
combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. whisk to combine, then place the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
add the butter to the flour mixture and toss until each cube is coated with flour. cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or, my preferred method, your fingers. you want the ingredients to become coarse and crumbly. the butter pieces should be slightly smaller than a pea.
stir the water and lemon juice together, then drizzle it over the dough, tossing with a fork to moisten the mixture. the dough should be shaggy, but should hold together when squeezed in your hand. if it is not holding together, add additional water by the teaspoon until it holds.
dump the dough onto a lightly flour surface and press it down, folding it over on itself a few times until it holds together. don't handle it too much, or it will get warm and overdeveloped. flatten the dough into a disc that is about 1 inch thick. wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour, or until ready to use.
make the pastry cream:
place the vanilla beans, vanilla pod and half & half in a medium saucepan. cook over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. separately, whisk the yolks, honey, sugar and salt together in a large bowl until the mixture has lightened in color. add the cornstarch and whisk until combined. slowly and carefully pour half of the hot half & half mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until combined. pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl then whisk in the butter. discard the vanilla pod. chill in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours.
to assemble the tart:
line a baking sheet with parchment paper. roll the galette dough into a 14 - 15 inch circle (it helps to turn the dough a quarter turn between each roll). transfer the dough to the baking sheet. it will overhang by a little. spread the cooled pastry cream over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. arrange the fig quarters in a circular pattern over the cream, skin side down, stem end facing the edge of the galette. fold the outer edge over the figs, pleating the dough as you go. put the galette in the fridge for one hour.
position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375. bake the galette for 50 - 60 minutes. cool for 30 minutes before serving.
notes
* the galette dough can be made and chilled for up to a week in advance
* the baked galette will keep for 2 days at room temperature, covered by a tea towel
* this recipe was adapted from cory schrieber and julie richardson's recipe in their book rustic fruit desserts