Heirloom Tomato Galette w/ Fennel & Calabrian Chili
Meredith Hayden of Wishbone Kitchen made an heirloom tomato galette. I made it according to her instructions. And then I altered the recipe to make it my own and boy, oh boy, I love this. This is pizza’s older, wiser, and more complex sister and she goes crazy. After making this galette multiple times and testing out various additives, ingredients, and shortcuts, these are my findings:
Fresh pesto definitely makes a difference if you have the time to make it (vs. premade/store bought pestos)
Choose 3 large heirloom tomatoes or 4 smaller ones for the recipe and try to get different colored tomatoes for more visual interest
Calabrian chili powder does exist and if you can find it and use it, it will blow your taste buds away. If you can’t find it, using a mixture with a ratio of 1:1 of paprika and chili powder comes out similar tasting
Fennel seeds, gently pulverized in a mortar and pestle (or slightly grinder in a Nutribullet or similar contraption) adds an interesting flavor profile to an otherwise flavorless dough; you could definitely add coriander powder/seeds, dried basil, thyme (spice or minced fresh herb), etc in the dough to make it more interesting and it would pair beautifully with the tomatoes. I often opt for fennel because I love it but of course, it is YOUR kitchen — so get creative and adjust!
Without further ado, please do make this and allow your taste buds to be “wow”’d.
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut up into cubes
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water, plus more as needed
2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tbsp fennel seeds
2-3 tbsp black pepper
TOPPING / ASSEMBLY
3-4 heirloom tomatoes*
1/4 cup fresh pesto**
Dusting of Calabrian chili powder, can also use Calabrian chili oil
Dusting of oregano (spice, not herb)
1 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, freshly grated
1 egg, beaten
1 cup stracciatella or burrata
Basil leaves to garnish
Lemon zest for garnish
*This amount depends largely on size and how thick you cut the slices; I got 5 tomatoes the first time I made this and had SO many tomato slices leftover. I recommend using a variety of different sized heirlooms & testing out how many slices you’d prefer with the thickness you prefer
**I made my own pesto using toasted pine nuts, basil & microbasil, a squeeze of lemon juice, lots of Parmesan cheese & good olive oil (plus salt & pepper to taste of course). Honestly I throw all the ingredients in a blender and taste and I go until I get the texture and taste I am looking for.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Slice tomatoes to desired thickness (Meredith recommends 1/4” thick). Salt both sides and allow to release excess moisture on a paper towel-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
Combine flour, salt, and butter on a clean work surface (or in a food processor) and work until butter is starting to be worked into the flour. Add apple cider vinegar and water and work into flour and butter mixture. Add more cold water as needed if dough hasn’t come together yet. Add in black pepper and fennel seeds and knead only until combined throughout dough. Cover in plastic wrap and allow to chill in fridge for 2 hours minimum.
Once chilled, transfer dough to a clean work surface dusted with flour and roll out to a large circle with about an 1/8” thickness. Carefully transfer to a sheet tray lined with either parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Build galette immediately or allow dough to chill in fridge on sheet tray until ready to assemble.
Spread pesto in a circle in the center of the dough, leaving about 1-2 in of dough for the crust. Sprinkle oregano and Calabrian chili powder (or oil!) on top of pesto. Layer on slices of tomatoes.
Fold the 1-2 in of dough left around the rim from earlier over the tomatoes. Brush exposed crust with egg wash, top with freshly grated cheese, and top with a few pinches of salt.
Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and dough has cooked all the way through.
Allow galette to cool on hot sheet tray for about 15 minutes before garnishing, slicing, & serving. Enjoy!
