Why this recipe sings

If you’ve never made a galette before, you first need to know that galettes are quite simple to make.

Galette (in French cuisine) is a single-crust, free-form pie with a vegetable, meat, or fruit filling and the crust folded partway over the top of the filling.

This is a Greek-style tomato galette filled with lovely ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs like basil and mint, and creamy feta cheese.

The crust is easy to make and does not need to rest for long. It is flaky and delicious, made with butter, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of oregano.

The filling is savory, sweet, and full of flavor. The tomatoes combined with the creamy feta and the herbs are fragrant and summery.

Here is what you need

• All-purpose flour. You can also use bread flour if you have it handy.
• Good quality butter. If you use salted, omit the teaspoon of salt when you mix the dough.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Good quality feta cheese. Greek feta is always in a block and kept in brine. Dodoni feta and Mt Vikos feta are great cheeses available at most supermarkets. Trader Joe’s also has Greek feta sold in brine. Please don’t buy fat-free feta. It does not exist in Greece. Also, avoid pre-crumbled feta; it is dry and has no flavor.
• Ricotta cheese. In Greece, we would use manouri or anthotyro. Mixed with the feta makes a creamy filling.
• Fresh herbs. Basil and mint make any dish feel like summer.
• Ripe tomatoes. Choose any size, mixing different sizes and colors of tomatoes. In the summer, there is an abundance of good tomatoes in farmer’s markets, so choose your favorites.
• Red Onion. My favorite onion has a bold and spicy flavor that stays strong but sweeter when cooked.
• Sea salt, pepper, and dry oregano.

How to make it

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Drizzle in 5-6 tablespoons of water, stirring gently until everything is evenly moistened. Add a final tablespoon of water if necessary.

Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in a film or a reusable silicone bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix one cup of feta with 1-2 tbs ricotta cheese. Add the fresh herbs, the dry oregano, the olive oil, and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no big chunks of feta left.

Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and place them on a paper towel.

Place the dough between two large pieces of parchment paper. Place the chilled dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Then, using a rolling pin, start at the center and begin to roll the dough away from your body, rotating it 90 degrees every few rolls to ensure an even thickness and a round shape.Roll out the dough into an approximately 12″ circle. Transfer it to a baking sheet.

Spread the cheese mixture over the dough, leaving approximately a 1.5″ wide bare strip along the perimeter. Some parts might be uneven. That is fine, it is not an issue since you are folding the dough over the tomatoes and it can overlap.

Follow with a layer of tomato slices. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add some onion slices. Sprinkle a tiny bit of brown sugar all over. Repeat a layer of tomatoes and onion, filling the space to your preference ( I like to mix the different colors/sizes of tomatoes I might have)—season with a little salt, pepper, and a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar. 

Fold the bare edges of the dough towards the center. Brush the exposed edges of the crust with egg wash. Sprinkle a small pinch of chili pepper flakes all over.

Bake the galette for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Why is this tomato galette different?

There are three steps I follow when I make it.

• Step number one is using one cup of good Greek feta cheese mixed with one tablespoon of ricotta. Ricotta resembles Greek cheeses like Anthotyros and manouri, often used in various pies in Greece. I love mixing it with the feta because it lightens the cheese and makes it creamier and less salty.
• The second step is mixing fresh herbs with the cheese. Basil, mint & feta is a great combination I can’t have enough of. It adds a layer of flavor that is quite different from just adding chopped herbs on top.
• The third, last & best step is to add a very thin sprinkle of brown sugar on top of the tomatoes as you layer them. The sugar breaks any tanginess the tomato might have and creates the perfect sweet and savory bite at the end.

Tips & Tricks

• Making a tomato galette can result in a soggy crust due to excess moisture from the tomatoes. Place the tomato slices on a kitchen towel right after slicing and pat them lightly right before layering to avoid the extra moisture.
• Another trick is adding a cheese layer first and then the tomatoes. A protective barrier is created, and the soggy bottom is a thing of the past.
• You can substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for regular flour. I had good results with Bob’s Mill. If you use this flour, bake the galette for an extra 5 minutes.

This tomato galette recipe has many layers of flavor. It is sweet, savory, spicy, and fresh, all at the same time. Don’t wait until the end of tomato season to add it to your meal rotation!

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