Apple butter galette
This galette came about mostly as an excuse to make the apple butter (see recipe: ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/spiced-apple-butter), though, to be honest, you don’t really need one to do that. To save time, by all means use bought-in apple sauce instead, though perhaps stir some cinnamon through it first. If you want to get ahead, make the dough up to three days in advance and keep it well wrapped in the fridge (or make it even further ahead and freeze for up to a month). Serve with a caramel sauce, as in the photograph, for extra decadence.
Prep
10 min + rest
Cook
2 hr
Serving size
6 people
Ingredients
For the dough:
250g plain flour
1½ tsp caster sugar
¾ tsp salt
200g fridge-cold unsalted butter, cut into 1½ cm cubes
75ml ice-cold water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the filling:
185g spiced apple butter (see today’s recipe) or bought-in apple sauce (see recipe introduction)
600g granny smith apples (ie, about 4 medium apples), cored but skin-on
1 tbsp lemon juice
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp apricot jam
1½ tbsp calvados (or brandy, or water)
Creme fraiche, to serve
Method
1. First make the dough. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter cubes, but without mixing them in, then freeze the bowl and its contents for 30 minutes.
2. Tip the chilled mixture into a food processor and pulse a few times, until the cold butter breaks down to the size of peas. Add the water and vinegar, and pulse a few times more, just until the dough starts to come together. Transfer to a clean work surface and use your hands to bring it together into a cohesive dough, working quickly so it keeps nice and cold (that’s the secret to ensuring a light, flaky galette pastry). Shape into a rough round, wrap tightly to make it airtight, then refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 210C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the dough on a well-floured surface and roll it out into a 35cm-diameter circle. Carefully lift this on to a lined baking tray and fold about 1½cm of the pastry’s edge over on itself all the way round. Repeat, so it now has a double folded rim. Crimp decoratively all around the edge, if you wish, then spread the spiced apple butter (or apple sauce) evenly over the base, avoiding the rim. Refrigerate the dough while you make the filling.
4. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, finely slice the apples into 2mm-thick rounds. Put in a bowl with the lemon juice and toss to coat. Arrange the slices on top of the galette base in concentric circles, overlapping them slightly, until the base is completely covered. Brush the apples with the melted butter, then sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the tray around and turn down the heat to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until golden and the apples are catching a little at the edges. Transfer to a rack and leave to cool slightly.
5. Put the jam and calvados in a small saucepan and heat gently to warm through, whisking to combine. Brush this mixture evenly over the apples, then slide the galette on to a serving plate or board. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the creme fraiche alongside and some caramel sauce, if you like.