Yogurt Galette Dough

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Sometimes a recipe hits at the exact right time. This galette/tart/pie dough was one of those recipes. I was having a group from church over for dinner and wasn’t sure what to make. I wanted something light and summery that I could easily make ahead so it was all ready when the guests arrived. I was debating several options when Lara showed me a video for this beautiful tart dough. I instantly knew this was what we were going to do.

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We decided to highlight heirloom tomatoes and zucchini in the two different tarts. Both of them had the veggies assembled over a layer of ricotta mixed with grated parmesan. The tomato tart had a layer of pesto spread on the dough under the ricotta, while the zucchini version had a layer of nduja under the ricotta. Both were fantastic.

The dough was a real winner. It came together so easily. After chilling it rolled out beautifully without any trouble at all. It was a dream. A dough to keep close by for any tart or pie in the future.

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Cherry Tomato Galette
Kitchen Vignettes for PBS Food
Ingredients

For the Pastry:

  • 1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes (I used spelt and it worked beautifully)

  • 1/4 tsp. salt

  • 8 tbsp. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup full-fat yoghurt (if liquidy, drain it first so it is thick and creamy)

  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup ice water

For the Filling:

  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan

  • About 1 pound of cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

  • Freshly minced basil for garnish (4 or 5 basil leaves)

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Glaze:

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 1 tsp. water

Directions
First, make sure your flour and butter are chilled. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour and salt together, then cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender, a food processor, or two knifes, until the butter is evenly distributed with the largest chunks about the size of peas (these chunks of butter are what will give your crust its delightful flakiness). In a small bowl, mix together the ice cold water, cold yoghurt, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Pour this mixture into the flour. With a wooden spoon, gently mix together, just until you can get it into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfectly mixed, you want to avoid overworking the dough. Flatten the ball into a disc and wrap in plastic or parchment paper and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the chilled dough into a large round about 12 to 14 inches wide and between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Place the rolled-out dough on a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. (You may find it easier to handle the dough if you roll it out directly onto the floured piece of parchment paper).

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta and grated parmesan together. Crumble and spread this mixture onto your dough, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Place your halved tomatoes, cut-side up, tightly together to fill the circle, leaving the 2-inch border intact. Fold the border edges of the dough inwards so that the tomatoes are encased by dough around the edges but exposed in the center. Brush the edges with the egg yolk glaze. Season with salt and pepper if you wish and drizzle the olive oil on top of the tomatoes.

Bake in a 375 F oven for about 45 minutes or until crust is golden.

Remove from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes before sprinkling shredded basil on top. Slice and serve.