Fruit
by: Sarah Jampel
June7,2017
12Comments
12Comments
We've shared many a tip for preventing the dreaded soggy-bottomed crust that results when a pie's fruit filling releases juices as it bakes, glopping up the flour below.
You can par-bake your bottom crust; macerate (or cook) the fruit, strain off its juices, then reduce them on the stove and fold them back in; you can press a thin disc of almond paste onto the bottom crust before dumping in the filling. You can roll your crust in cookie or cracker crumbs; you can bake your pie in a glass baking dish and on a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet; you can—and should—pray to the heavens above.
But what about galettes, the happy-go-lucky, all-shapes-and-sizes cousins of pies?!?! You can't par-bake a galette, or cradle it inside a glass vessel. So what's a gal(ette) to do?
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Follow the advice of master recipe developer and cookbook writer Patricia Wells. Instead of recommending that you roll the galette dough in cookie crumbs, Patricia has a lower-effort tip in her latest cookbook, My Master Recipes: Simply sprinkle those cookie crumbs over the galette dough before spooning the fruit over top. (She also recommends brushing an egg white onto the pastry and baking on a steel stone or ceramic stone.)
Cookies add crunch and flavor, [...] help absorb the cooked fruit juices, and, as with the egg white, keep the pastry from becoming soggy.
Patricia Wells, Smart Woman
Patricia suggests using biscotti for her Three-Apple and Fresh Rosemary Galette, Blackberry and Raspberry Galette, and Apricot and Lavender Honey Galette—but amaretti cookies would be delicious, as would graham crackers, Nilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, and ginger snaps. (And Patricia isn't the only one who's thought-up this tip: Dorie Greenspan recommends a similar technique—with butter or spice cookies for her What's-on-Hand Galette in Baking Chez Moi.)
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Top Comment:
“I use cornstarch when making the blueberry galette. Two tablespoons for four cups of fruit. No soggy bottom and juicy pie. I will try the cookie crumbs on the bottom of the dough. As I was reading the article I was thinking of putting Belgium spéculos cookie crumbs. Thanks for the tip.”
— Joelle
Comment
This summer, you can consider your galette bottoms safe from sog. Thanks, cookies.
Galette or pie: Which do prefer to make and to eat? Tell us in the comments below.
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Tags:
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- Kitchen Hacks
- Dessert
- Bake
- What to Cook
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12 Comments
BBCo. February 22, 2022
Hi! What about Savory Galettes? Tomato, onion, zucchini with basil spread on crust and then fresh parmesan over vegetables. TYI.
A H. November 8, 2018
I’ve never had a soggy bottom galette in all the years I’ve been making them....both sweet and savory. I use flour as thickening agent. I use raw fruit. I only bake on a thin 1970’s cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I cover the galette with foil just laid over the top for the middle third of the baking time. It’s uncovered the first and last third of baking time. I use a pate brisee dough. I hope this helps.
P.S: I love Food52!!
Joelle July 23, 2017
Galettes unlike pies bake better in a very hot oven...425°f. I use cornstarch when making the blueberry galette. Two tablespoons for four cups of fruit. No soggy bottom and juicy pie. I will try the cookie crumbs on the bottom of the dough. As I was reading the article I was thinking of putting Belgium spéculos cookie crumbs. Thanks for the tip.
Connie T. June 11, 2017
I use quick-cooking tapioca in all my fruit pies. I got the recipe from an amazing WWII-era tome (replete with rationing rules and substitutions) handed down from my mother. I am sure the tapioca will work on a galette, especially if it is baked on a dark metal cookie sheet.
Gamze M. June 7, 2017
To make galettes are quick and easy, to eat I prefer both..
HalfPint June 7, 2017
@Sarah, what about instant tapioca?
Sarah J. June 7, 2017
I don't have much experience with it, HalfPint! Do you? I'm planning to do some side-by-side testing of various fruit thickeners later this summer! Any advice you have would be much appreciated!
HalfPint June 7, 2017
I haven't had any experience with it either :)
However, I see it pop up in a lot of older recipes. Logically, it makes sense to add instant tapioca in lieu of flour or cornstarch. Plus, the tapioca would not affect the flavor.
Sarah J. June 7, 2017
That's true!! You can be sure I'll let you know what I find out! ;)
Sabine June 8, 2017
Tapioca/sago pearls work just fine! Just add 1-2 tbsp onto the crust or, even better, mix it with the fruit.
Gamze M. June 8, 2017
Baking on a pre-heated tray or using a baking stone solves the problem, avoiding to add the juices of the fruits(too wet filling)result in a soggy bottomless galette! Both my recipes worked out fine...
Sarah J. June 10, 2017
Thanks for the tip—that's a great one!
