I love a Galette because I love pie, and a galette is like a pie, but easier to put together. A galette can be sweet or savory. You could make a galette for the meal and another for dessert. hehehe
If you want to use a purchased pie crust, make sure to buy a sheet and not one in a tin. I made the pastry, then rolled it out to 15 inches. Place the rolled out pastry on a large baking sheet. Use parchment paper between the pastry and the baking sheet if you like.
Leave the skins on the pears and slice to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place the pears in a circular pattern about 8-9 inches in diameter in the center of the pastry.
Roughly chop the walnuts and toast in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. You will only need about a 1/4 cup.
Sprinkle a little dash of ground cinnamon over the pears. Sprinkle on the toasted walnuts. Add some crumbled goat cheese.
Pinch and slide your thumb and finger down a stem of fresh thyme to remove the leaves. Sprinkle them over the filling.
Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the filling. There is no rhyme or reason to this. Fold over and pleat as needed.
Whisk and egg and 1 Tbsp of water. Brush the egg wash over the pastry. This step isn’t completely necessary, but it does help to finish it off nicely.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove and slide off of the parchment paper to a plate or platter.
Drizzle honey ALL over the top. I like to get it over the filling and the crust. Let it drip down the sides.
Cut into slices like a pie. Makes 8-12 slices, depending on how wide you cut them.
If you are a fan of this recipe, then check these others out –
- Pear Custard Pie
- Pear Cardamom Crisp
- Zucchini Popper Boats
- Sausage Rolls
- Marinated Tomatoes with Burrata
- Bruschetta Dip
Pear & Goat Cheese Galette
Equipment
- large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Pastry – Make your own, or use a purchase pie crust or puff pastry
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 5-6 Tbsp cold, ice water
Filling
- 3-4 pears
- ¼ tsp cinnamon, ground
- 4 oz. goat cheese or feta, bleu or gorgonzola
- ⅓ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Finish
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- 1-2 Tbsp honey could use hot honey for a little heat
Instructions
Pastry – make this butter pastry or use store bought pie crust or puff pastry.
- Prepare a mug of ice and water. Set aside so it has time to chill. Measure the flour and salt into a shallow, medium mixing bowl Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork till crumbly.
- Measure the ice water one Tablespoon at a time. Drop each Tablespoon in a different spot on the flour mixture. Use a fork and then your hands to carefully work the water into the dough. Do not overwork it. Use the fork till it all starts to hold together. Use your hands to finish it up and use the ball of dough to pick up all the pieces and squeeze it all together.
- On a lightly floured surface, place the ball of dough. Use your hand to flatten into a thick disc. Lightly flour the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large15-18 inch circle.
- Place parchment paper on a 1/2 sheet baking sheet. Or a large baking sheet. I use 13"x17". Fold the pastry up over the rolling pin and use the pin to transfer the rolled out pastry to the parchment on the prepared baking sheet.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Wash and dry the pears. Core and slice the pears. I leave the skins on, put you may peel the pears if you wish. Place the slices in a circular shape in the center of the pastry. Start in the center and move out. Make the circle of pears 8"-9".
- Lightly sprinkle ground cinnamon over the pears.
- Roughly chop ¼ cup walnuts. Spread out on a small baking sheet. Place in a 400° oven for 5 minutes, until toasty.
- While the walnuts are toasting, crumble the goat cheese over the pears.
- Remove the walnuts from the oven. Leave the oven on. Remove the walnuts to a plate so they will cool faster. After they have cooled off a little, sprinkle them evenly over the pears and goat cheese.
- Collect 1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme by pinching the end of a thyme sprig and slide it down to remove the little thyme leaves. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the pear filling.
- Trim around the edge of the pastry to be about 4 inches beyond the filling. Fold the pastry up and over the pear filling, section by section, making pleats and folds as needed along the way. The filling will not be covered completely. The center will be left open.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg an 1 Tablespoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to wash the egg over the raw pastry.
- Bake in a 400° oven for 25 minutes.
- Leave on the sheet or move to a service platter. Drizzle honey over the top.