In collaboration with Brixton Windmill and using their organic wholemeal flour
Galette, torta salata, crusty cake, savoury tart. Bring them all on.
I must say, I particularly love the versatility of a galette and its rich buttery pastry. Just add or take away some sugar from a classic pastry recipe, and you can bake anything from a savoury tart with cheese and veg to anything sweet with fruit compote or chocolate. It’s just the easiest thing to make. No moulds, tart tins, fancy equipment needed.
For this rustic galette recipe I used some butternut squash, so vibrant and with sweet and warming notes which go very well with any sort of cheese (in this case some mature cheddar, well hidden under the squash slices). To lift up and balance the sweetness, some cavolo nero pesto adds sharpness and freshness to the recipe, with notes of garlic and lemon. Hazelnut gremolata on top for texture, crunch and extra nuttiness.
Also, whole wheat flour elevates the pastry with extra nutritious nuttyness. Just bake your tart for 40 minutes in the oven and you will have the perfect flaky shell to complement your favourite ingredients (see above).
You can give it a go as it is or take inspiration and make it your own, perhaps by swapping the cheddar with some more intense cheese like taleggio or stilton, or ditching the squash for some roast potatoes or celeriac with some rosemary.
There are endless possibilities, just one rule to follow: real flavours are a must (make your nonna happy).
Makes one 25cm galette
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 80g plain flour
- 50g wholemeal flour, I used Brixton Windmill
- 5g fine sea salt
- 115g cold butter, diced
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ice cube
FOR THE TOPPING
- 500g butternut squash, sliced into 5mm thick slices
- 100g cleaned and chopped cavolo nero or kale leaves
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil + extra for drizzling
- 15ml lemon juice
- 60g grated cheddar/mozzarella
- 1Tbsp English mustard
- salt & pepper to taste
- 20g hazelnuts
- zest of ½ lemon
Method
MAKE THE PASTRY (ONE DAY AHEAD)
- Mix flours and salt in a food processor. In a small glass, combine water, vinegar and ice cube. Add the cold butter to the flour and blitz until you reach a crumbly consistency.
- Add two tablespoons of the icy water and vinegar mix and blitz for a few seconds more until it comes together into a pastry. If needed, add an extra tablespoon of liquid. As soon as the pastry has come together, knead it a couple of times with your hands to smooth it out, shape into a ball and flatten slightly into a disc. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
MAKE AND BAKE THE GALETTE (DAY OF SERVING)
- Heat the oven to 200℃. Add the slices of squash to an ovenproof tray, toss with a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt and roast for 30 minutes, giving a good stir halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. The slices should be cooked but still retain their shape.
- Turn the oven down to 180℃. Take the pastry disc out of the fridge, unwrap and set aside over a sheet of baking parchment for a couple of minutes. Dust with flour on both sides and roll out to a thin round disc of at least 30cm diameter (about 3mm thick). It is essential that you work fairly quickly to avoid the pastry getting warm.
- Mix together the grated cheese and mustard and spread over the pastry leaving a 4cm border all around. Neatly line the slices of roasted squash in a circular pattern to cover the entire surface of the cheese. With the help of the baking parchment, lift the pastry border and fold it over the squash, going around the entire circle. Transfer the galette to a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and flaky.
- While the galette bakes, blanch the cavolo nero with boiling water for 5 minutes, then transfer into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking, drain and pat dry. Add to a food processor alongside 50ml of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blitz to a smooth paste. Adjust seasoning to your liking and set aside.
- Heat a small pan over a medium heat. Toss the hazelnuts for a few minutes, until starting to brown and becoming fragrant. Remove from the pan onto a chopping board and leave to cool slightly, then chop and mix with lemon zest. Set aside.
- Once the galette is cooked, transfer to a serving platter and top with the hazelnut gremolata. Scatter half of the cavolo nero pesto over the tart, or slice the galette as it is and serve each slice with a generous dollop of pesto on the side..Enjoy!