Cheese Galette
A cheese galette is a delicious French pastry that is quite easy to make at home. These ingredients come together to create a savoury and visually appealing cheese and tomato galette. This savoury take on the classic galette is sure to make your lunches much more interesting.
In this post, you will learn how to make a Cheese Galette.
What is a Galette?
A galette is a term used in French cuisine to describe a variety of flat, round, or free-form crusty cakes or tarts. The term “galette” encompasses different types of pastries and cakes, ranging from savoury to sweet, but they all share a rustic, unfussy appearance. This recipe will be focusing on making a cheese galette with a tomato base.
If you want to try making a dessert galette, try making my Plum Galette recipe. The dessert galette is an easier version with the same amount of taste!
What is the Best Cheese to Use for my Cheese Galette
When making a cheese galette, choosing the right cheese is crucial to achieving the desired flavour and texture. The best cheeses that you can choose for a cheese galette should melt well, complement the other ingredients, and enhance the overall taste.
Best Cheeses for a Cheese Galette
- Gruyère is nutty, with a slightly sweet flavour with a creamy texture when melted. This makes it melt beautifully and adds a rich, complex flavour to the galette.
- Cheddar has a sharp and tangy flavour and is available in various aging levels. Sharp cheddar adds a robust flavour and melts well, making it an excellent choice for a cheese galette. Mature cheddar is the cheese that I use in this recipe.
- Fontina is a mild, nutty, and slightly earthy flavour with a creamy texture. Fontina melts smoothly and pairs well with other ingredients, providing a creamy, rich texture.
- Goat Cheese (Chèvre) is tangy, creamy, and has a slightly tart flavour. Goat cheese adds a distinctive tang and creaminess. It works well when combined with vegetables or herbs in the galette. Some people enjoy goat’s cheese and others do not. It is a flavour that grows on you with time and exposure.
- Brie or Camembert is a cheese that is creamy, buttery, and has a mildly tangy flavour. These soft cheeses melt into a luscious, creamy filling, adding a touch of elegance to the galette.
- Feta has a tangy, salty, and crumbly texture. Feta adds a bold, salty flavour and pairs well with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients like spinach, olives, and tomatoes.
- Mozzarella has a mild, creamy flavour with excellent melting properties. Mozzarella provides a gooey, stretchy texture, making it a great base cheese to mix with other, more flavourful cheeses. I slice up a mozzarella ball to use in this recipe. Something to note is that more expensive mozzarella balls have more flavour to them, as I have come to learn.
- Parmesan or Pecorino Romano is a hard, aged cheeses with a salty, umami flavour. These cheeses add a punch of flavour. They can be used by grating them over the galette or used by mixing with other cheeses for added depth of flavour.
Tips for Using Cheese in a Galette
- Combining Cheeses: combine two or more cheeses for a more complex flavour. For example, mix Gruyère with a bit of Parmesan for a nutty, savoury blend.
- Balance with Other Ingredients: consider the other ingredients in your galette. For example, pair goat cheese with roasted vegetables or Gruyère with caramelized onions and mushrooms.
- Melting Properties: ensure the cheese you choose melts well to achieve a creamy and cohesive filling.
The best cheese for a cheese galette depends on your own flavour preferences, and the other ingredients you plan to use. Gruyère, cheddar, Fontina, goat cheese, Brie, feta, mozzarella, and Parmesan are all excellent choices. Combining different cheeses can also create a more nuanced and delicious galette. The most important thing though is to select cheeses that melt well.
Can I Add Ham to My Cheese Galette?
Yes, you can definitely add ham to your cheese galette! Adding ham will bring an extra layer of savoury flavour and protein, making the galette even more satisfying. You can add the pre-cooked ham during Step 4 of the recipe, right after the sundried tomatoes are added to the galette.
Best Types of Ham to Use
- Deli Ham: thinly sliced deli ham works well because it is easy to layer and can be evenly distributed throughout the galette.
- Cooked Ham: you can also use diced or shredded cooked ham. This can include leftover baked ham or pre-cooked ham cubes.
- Prosciutto: for a gourmet twist, thinly sliced prosciutto can add a delicate, salty flavour.
How Do I Incorporate the Ham into My Galette?
The ham will be added just after the sundried tomatoes in Step 4.
- Even Distribution: ensure the ham is evenly distributed to get a bit of ham in every bite.
- Quantity: use about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of diced or shredded ham, or 4-6 slices of deli ham or prosciutto, depending on your preference and the size of your galette.
- Flavour Balance: if the ham is very salty, you might want to reduce the amount of bacon or choose a less salty variety of bacon to avoid overpowering the galette.
- Moisture Control: pat the ham dry with a paper towel if it seems very moist to prevent the galette from becoming soggy.
Whether you use deli ham, cooked ham, or prosciutto, it will pair well with the cheeses, tomato paste, and other ingredients. Make sure to distribute it evenly and adjust the other salty components as needed to maintain a balanced flavour profile. Enjoy your enhanced cheese and ham galette!
What is a Puff Pastry?
Puff pastry is a light, flaky pastry made by layering dough with butter and folding it multiple times before rolling it out. The multiple folds makes it puff up during baking due to the steam created from the butter layers.
This recipe calls for a store bought puff pastry to make this recipe a bit easier to make, but you can also make your own at home! If you want to try making your own puff pastry, try making my own Puff Pastry Recipe. It yields amazing results!
What is the Purpose of the Egg Wash?
This pastry recipe used a whole egg wash which includes a beaten whole egg with a bit of milk. This provides a shiny, golden-brown finish with good browning and a slight crispness on to the puff pastry. The best way to apply an egg wash is to use a pastry brush.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry: puff pastry is the crust of the galette. It holds all of the ingredients in and adds a crispy and extra buttery texture to the filling.
Tomato Paste: tomato paste adds a concentrated tomato taste to the filling. It forms the base layer of the filling and gives a lovely, sharp tomato taste.
Sundried Tomatoes: sundried tomatoes provide a burst of intense, tangy tomato flavour and a slightly chewy texture. They complement the richness of the cheeses and the smokiness of the bacon.
Mature Cheddar: mature cheddar is a strong cheese that melts well. The texture pairs with the tomato and bacon well to enhance the savoury profile.
Mozzarella Ball: the mozzarella ball has a milder flavour than other cheeses but tends to melt very well and has a gooey texture to it. It pairs nicely with the mature cheddar cheese because of the flavour profile.
Bacon Bits: the bacon bits give a smoky flavour and a crunch to the galette. And face it, who doesn’t love bacon?! I find the easiest way to make bacon bits is to fry them in my air fryer. That way I do not have to watch them and can focus on making my galette or other dishes.
Spring Onion: spring onion adds a fresh and milk onion flavour and a pop of colour. It has a slight sharpness to it which helps balance out the cheese and bacon.
Egg: the egg is used for the egg wash and provides a shiny, golden-brown finish to the puff pastry. This adds a slight sheen and crispness to the pastry.
Milk: milk is whisked with the egg to form an egg wash for the puff pastry.
Tips
- Add some ham between the sundried tomatoes and cheese for an extra hearty, cheesy galette.
- Make sure to egg wash your galettes as the egg wash creates a shiny, golden-brown finish, contributes to a crisp crust, helps toppings adhere, and can help seal pastry edges.
- Pre-fry your bacon so that it is nice and crispy on top of your cheese galette.
- After the galettes have baked garnish the tops of them with the finely sliced spring onion for a fresh taste and colourful appearance.
- To mix it up, try leaving the pastry whole and making one large galette. Use a knife to cut it up into slices.
Cheese Galette
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry 13”x8”
Tomato and Cheese Filling
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 6 oz. sundried tomatoes
- 1 c. red mature cheddar, shredded
- 1 mozzarella ball thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. bacon bits ,pre-cooked
- 1/4 c. spring onion sliced thinly
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface. Once rolled out cut the pastry into 8 4”x4” squares.
- Spoon the tomato paste onto each individual puff pastry and spread around leaving about half an inch from the edge of the pastry.
- Place the sundried tomatoes onto each pastry.
- Sprinkle the shredded red cheddar onto each pastry then top with a slice of mozzarella.
- Fold up the sides of the puff pastry until all the sides are turned over and sticking.
- Sprinkle with pre-fried bacon bits.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and then pour in milk and whisk together. Brush egg mixture on the sides of each individual pastry.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle with freshly sliced spring onion.