Rustic Tomato Galette

This Rustic Tomato Galette recipe is simple and gorgeous. The balance of acidity from the ripe plum tomatoes, mixed with the creaminess of cheeses,  is the perfect accent to this buttery crust.  So elegant you will wow your guests. This has simply become one of our favourite recipes created by our very own talented Chef Oliver Li. 

Meet the Chef

Chef Oliver LI, CMC Is a graduate of the Certified Master Chef program, (Canadian Culinary Institute and Humber College).

Chef Li’s career started with seven years as a chef training manager and sous chef for the Hilton Shanghai. He then, spent just under four years working in Frankfurt, Germany as the executive sous chef of the Zum Schwarzen Stern.

Later, Chef Li,  has worked and assumed roles such as; an executive sous chef at the Hilton Toronto, and George Brown College as a chef Professor, to name a few. Before assuming his current role today for Browne Group as a corporate chef as well as teaching at Humber College School of Business. 

Tips for the galette dough

• Temperature is everything: As in every pastry dough, whether it is used to make a galette, tart, or pie, the temperature of the dough is very important. It should be cold. If it gets warm during the rolling out process, feel free to place in the fridge for a few minutes to harden.
• If your galette dough is too thick: you will not achieve the correct texture or crispness:  The deal thickness for the rolled galette dough is a uniform ⅛-inch thick for ideal browning that has a nice crisp. 
• Important to bake on the middle lower rack: Since the ideal thickness of the crust is ⅛-inch and it is directly baked on a thin pan (rather than in a pie pan), the way to ensure even baking and browning is to bake it in a moderate temperature oven on the middle rack.

How to Assemble your Galette

Ingredients

Galette Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp sugar

Pinch salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

3 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk

⅓ cup ice water, approximately

Tart Toppings

5 firm but ripe plum tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch thick slices

2½ oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded  

2½ oz Mozzarella, fresh, shredded

Few fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade for color and taste

Method

1. To make the galette dough: on a working surface mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Make a well in the center, add the sour cream/or buttermilk and water, stirring gently until everything is evenly moistened; add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary to make a cohesive dough.
2. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Put the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into an 11-inch circle that’s about ⅛-inch thick. Lift the dough now and then and toss some flour under it and over the top.  Carefully place the rolled-out dough onto a Cuisipro pizza pan.  
5. Toss the cheeses and basil together in a small bowl, and then scatter the mix over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 2-inch border.
6. Place the tomatoes in concentric circles, one slice slightly overlapping the last, on top of the cheese. Fold the uncovered border of dough up over the filling, allowing the dough to pleat as you lift it and work your way around the galette.
7. Bake the galette for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow resting for 10 minutes.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy