Apple Cheddar Galette

Apple cheddar cheese galette on parchment paper

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5 from 8 votes

Apple Cheddar Galette

A rustic flaky tart made with apples and cheddar cheese, a combination popular in New England.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks); 3/4use high fat butter (Plugra/Kerrygold)
¼ cup water up to 1/3 cup

For the Filling:

1 ¾ pounds apples (not Delicious) about 5 medium apples
½ lemon juiced
¼ cup brown sugar packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg
coarse sugar optional
½ cup cheddar cheese grated
fresh thyme leaves optional

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix together with your hands, squeezing the butter as you blend it into the flour. There will be bits of butter still showing.
Alternatively use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and pulse the butter into the dry ingredients.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, 12 tablespoons butter
Add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup water to the dough and work it into a ball with your hands. Do not overwork; the butter will still show up in the batter as not thoroughly incorporated.
Wrap dough ball in cling wrap and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
1/4 cup water
After the dough has chilled at least 1/2 hour, start making the filling.
Peel, core and quarter the apples and place them in a bowl of water with the lemon juice added to keep them from discoloring.
Slice the apple quarters into 1/4 slices putting them back in the lemon water after slicing.
1 3/4 pounds apples (not Delicious), 1/2 lemon
Drain the apples thoroughly and place in a bowl. Add the sugar and spices and gently mix into the apples. Add the corn starch and lemon zest and gently mix into the spiced apples.
1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Remove dough from fridge and let it warm slightly. Flour a large piece of parchment paper and flour the rolling pin and start rolling out the dough. Roll into a 12-14 inch round (it will be 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick).
When it is rolled out to the right size, slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and start arranging the apples on the dough. Arrange them overlapping in a concentric circle, leaving 2 inches all around the perimeter. (see illustrated steps in the post above).
Now, use the edges of the parchment paper to bring the dough up and around the apple filling, peeling the paper back down to the baking sheet. You will be pleating it every so often to make sure the filling is enclosed in the crust.
Lightly beat the egg with a touch of water and use a pastry brush to coat the crust edges. Sprinkle with sugar (coarse sugar if you have it).
1 egg, coarse sugar
Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 and bake another 20 - 25 minutes (crust should be golden brown). Sprinkle the filling with cheddar cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Crust should be deep golden brown.
Garnish with fresh thyme and let cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes so juices can thicken.
Best served within 2 days.
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, fresh thyme leaves

Notes

NOTES:

A lot of recipes suggest working the flour and butter until you have uniform "pea-size" pieces. You actually want uneven pieces of fat, and the dough is already overworked if all the fat is pea-size.
I like to make dough with my hands but you can use a stand mixer with the paddle if you prefer. Just be sure not to overwork it.
Work quickly to form the dough ball and keep it chilled while making the filling. If the dough rolls out crumbly and cracked at the edges, it will be difficult to pleat; too wet and it will tear; Cold dough is the key to a successful galette, as well as the secret to extra-flaky, extra-crispy crust.

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