Leek Soup – Dina Avila, Photographer

OK. Maybe I should use the word “rustic”? I don’t know why, but pie crusts are my handicap. Perhaps I’m impatient or perhaps I simple need to do more push-ups. I don’t know, but I really need to trouble shoot why my pie crusts always are an uphill battle. The dough resist coming together, it sticks to my rolling pin, it cracks and breaks, it’s as if it hates me. The funny thing is that I actually love making pies. Rolling out dough, despite (or because of?) the struggle, is a fairly meditative process for me and I find myself in a place of zen where it’s just me and the dough. All of my energy is focused in one place and I am very present and very much in the moment.

This apple galette is the bees knees. Ignoring the above issues, it is so incredibly simple to make. I found this recipe on the Food and Wine website where they borrowed it from the great Jacques Pépin. I did tweak it a tiny bit  and mixed whole wheat flour with the all-purpose. Perhaps that was my downfall. Who knows? Regardless, if you have an abundance of apples this season, you will love this galette.

As long as your dough doesn’t put up a fight.

Cheers!

Apple Galette

Adapted from Food and Wine/ Jacques Pépin

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick plus two tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

3-4 apples such as Golden Delicious
2 tablespoons rapadura, or cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw honey, warmed slightly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

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In a food processor, add all of the dough ingredients except the ice water and process for about 5 seconds.

Sprinkle with ice water and process for about 10 seconds, until the pastry starts to come together.

Scrape the pastry onto a work suface and press it together into a disk.

Place dough on a plate, wrap with plastic and refrigerate until chilled.

Core your apples and slice into 1/4 inch slices.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Remove dough from fridge and place on a lightly dusted work surface.

Roll out the dough until it’s about 12 inches in diameter and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Spread a layer of apples on the dough leaving an inch or so around the sides.

Drizzle with slightly warmed honey.

Place the rest of the apples on the dough and dust with sugar and cinnamon. Dot with butter.

Fold edges up over the apples creating a border.

Bake in the oven for one hour rotating half way through.

Place pan on a cooling rack and serve galette warm or at room temperature.